Valparaiso
by prouvaires
Summary: Alyss Lupin. The only known child of a werewolf, best friends with a certain pair of red-headed twins, and with a reputation as a trouble-maker - mostly by accident. But her latest accident is going to change her whole future. -PERMANENT HIATUS-
1. And so it begins

I have this picture

**"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Kurt Herbert Alder**

I have this picture. It's a photo. There's four kids in it. One small girl, with a pair of red-headed twins flanking her. They're all grinning up at the camera, although the girl occasionally looks down to check on the baby in her lap, who has a fuzzy tuft of black hair. The twins poke the girl to try and get a reaction from her. The older three children are two years old, the girl several months younger than the boys. The baby is just six months.

Then three men run into the picture. The one in front, supporting a mop of heavy black hair, plucks the baby from the lap of the girl, pausing to pat her head. The girl giggles as the other two men bear down on her and both begin to mock fight over her. Eventually, they advance on the camera, grinning fit to burst. The sandy-haired man with amber eyes turns to kiss the little girl's cheek, whispering nonsense in her ear. The other man, with long black hair and piercing grey eyes, looks intently at whoever is wielding the camera. Then the twins start fussing, and the three men all return their captives, sitting them in their original position, and the loop begins again.

I love this picture. I hold it when I'm sad, and I go everywhere with it. You've probably guessed that I'm the little girl in the middle. The baby on my lap is my cousin. He's not really my cousin, but our dads are like brothers, and so he's my cousin. He's also my godbrother, but being pretty much atheist I don't usually remember that. He's Harry Potter. The twins on either side of us are going to grow up and become Hogwarts' most infamous pranksters of their time, coming second to only the marauders, three quarters of whom are in that picture. The first man that rushes in is James Potter, Harry's dad, my Godfather/Uncle. The two men that pick me up and argue over me are my favourite people in the whole world. The sandy-haired man is my daddy, Remus Lupin, and I love him so much it hurts me sometimes to think about it. The other man, the grey-eyed man, that's my Wuffie. His real name is Sirius Black, of course, but ever since he came round to our house and turned into his animagus form and let me ride all the way around our (relatively small) kitchen, he's been my Wuffie. He always used to laugh about that.

Six months after that photo was taken, my Wuffie arrived at one of his best friend's houses to discover that Voldemort had beaten him to it. He found James lying dead in the hall. Ascending the stairs, he discovered, to his utter horror, the dead form of Lily lying in front of the cot where a small boy lay, blood running down his forehead from the lightening shaped cut. My Wuffie gathered the little boy up into his arms, but was forced to relinquish him by Hagrid, whom he ended up lending his special bike to.

Then he had to run. We did, too, but that's because it wasn't safe, and my mum and dad were being hunted down by Voldemort's Death Eaters, and I apparently was pretty high on the wanted list.

Everyone always told me –tells me – that I'm special. You want to know why? Because I'm the only child _ever _(recorded) to have a werewolf for a father. I think Voldemort had ordered me captured, and in the chaos that followed his destruction we were more at risk than ever. Dumbledore practically shoved us out of England. I think my parents went willingly, though. There were too many memories in England. Everything reminded them of Lily and James, and all their other dead friends.

We moved to Greece, to a small hillside town next to the sea called Valparaiso. Three weeks before my fourth birthday, we got the news.

"Oh my God. Look, darling. It's Sirius. He killed Pettigrew and twelve muggles." He exclaimed, glancing up at my mother. She went pale. Ignored, on the floor, I tugged on my daddy's trousers.

"Wuffie coming?" I asked, hopefully.

"No, little wolf. You are never going to see him again. Do you understand?" His voice was sharp, but full of pain. I sighed slightly, and could have had a temper tantrum, but I wasn't in the mood. I wandered out into our garden. It was quite small, but with some pretty flowers. I sat in the middle of the lawn, and, grinning foolishly, started to play an imaginary game with myself. I was pretending to be my daddy, who got to turn into a wolfman every full moon. I was insanely jealous of this.

Turns out children of werewolves _are _special. I used to sit with my daddy every full moon when he transformed. It has been recorded that werewolves are creatures of passion, and my daddy loved me more than anything in the world. Even more than my mother, I think.

One month, by accident, a short while after we heard about my Wuffie, I was left locked in the special room my daddy used to be shut in. He didn't take the potion then, he didn't know it. So I was stuck, trapped with a (supposedly) raging, cold-hearted killer. But when I desisted from beating ineffectually at the door with my small fists, I turned. To my delight, daddy was in his wolfman form, sniffing around my heels. I yelled with delight.

"DADDY WOLF!" Then I bowled him over by rushing at him and throwing small arms around his neck. Pressing my rosy cheek against his furry one, and could feel more than hear the deep growls that I somehow understood as pleasure. He lifted a careful arm, and dragged me into a corner, onto some ripped cushions, where he curled up around me and went to sleep.

My mother was supposed to take me to my auntie's house that night, but I had wriggled out of her grasp just as she disapparated, and then hidden. I _hated _my auntie. She was mean and strict and horrible about my daddy. Anyway, my mother searched high and low, then went to my Auntie's house to see if I was there, but I wasn't, and by the time she got back the full moon was out, the door had locked automatically, and there wasn't a thing in the world that could have opened it. She went to my auntie's, sobbing, crying, raging at my dad for his _condition_, and when she arrived home the next morning she was drunk, and still bitching about my dad.

I had awoken to find myself cuddled up next to my daddy, in human form, with the sun streaming in through the tiny, high up window. I pushed my daddy's arm off me, then went over and tried to open the door. When it didn't, I sat on the floor and had a tantrum. I was hungry. My daddy woke up then, astonished to see me screaming on the floor. Desperate, almost pathetic, rejoicing followed on my daddy's part. Now, I can see his point of view. How could he have lived with himself if he killed his own daughter?

My mother was lying, reeking of drink, when the door hissed open to allow us both out. She jumped up when she saw my in my daddy's arms, and slapped us both. My father slapped her back, then I was told to go outside and play. Not recognising a potential thunderstorm, I toddled off outside cheerfully, and soon found myself pretending to be my daddy again. It was my obsession back then. I was crawling through a bush, my clothes getting snagged on branches, when I heard the wolves calling. It was the first ones I ever heard. I quickly extricated myself from the bush, sat in the middle of the garden, threw back my head, and howled right along with that strange wolf pack.

My parents came rushing outside.

"Gods," said my mother, blanching. "She's a freak! Just like you are! I should never have married you."

"'Lassa, wait!" I heard my daddy call after her as she ran back inside. I stopped howling for a little while, but then a pleading note entered the wild wail of the wolves, so I started howling again.

I never saw my mother again. My daddy came outside ten minutes later, a white hand mark against a scarlet cheek. I saw his dejection and despair, and stopped howling with a note I – somehow – knew meant goodbye. Then wolves also called their goodbyes, and fell silent. I walked over to my daddy, who had flopped down on the grass, hand over his eyes. He was crying, softly, trying not to scare me. I fell on to my hands and knees and crawled onto his chest, sitting on him, trying to stop him being sad. He moved his hand, and we gazed at each other for a moment, amber eye into amber eye, then he clutched at me fiercely, whispering into my dungaree-covered shoulder.

"Your mummy's gone, sweetpea. She's not coming back." He told me, clutching at me ever tighter. Innocently, naïvely, that didn't even strike me as strange. I'd lost too many people for that to be weird. I had my daddy. I always loved him more than I loved my mummy anyway. I had always had him and Uncle Sirius.

"Does that mean we get my Wuffie back?" I asked, playing with his hair.

"No, my darling, he's got to stay where he is. He was very bad." My daddy told me. I sighed slightly.

"Daddy, my Wuffie is _not _bad. Tom Riddle is bad. Vampires are bad. My Wuffie is _not _bad. Silly daddy, thinking my Wuffie is bad!" I informed him. He pressed my small form against himself. I didn't know then how much Sirius' supposed betrayal had hurt him.

"He killed people, my little wolf. He is in prison."

I screamed at him then, for an adult's stubbornness. "MY WUFFIE IS GOOD!" Then I ran a short distance away. He called out, heart-wrenchingly to me, in greek.

"προσκοπάκι!" (_Little Wolf!)_ I stopped. He had taught me a lot of greek in the year we had been living there, and hearing it everywhere helped me in it. I was almost fluent, and I realize now that I have rather a gift for languages. That would have been useful if I had been a muggle, going to a muggle school. But I wasn't, and I didn't, so that sucked.

I recognized the phrase, and turned. As I turned, I felt myself _shift_ somehow, almost without noticing. My daddy sat on the grass dumbstruck. I wagged an appeasing tail. Hang on a second! Tail? What the……

I did a couple of circles to convince myself that what I thought had happened had. It had. I was a wolf. Don't know how, don't know why, but I guess it's because of the werewolf in my blood. I tried to run towards my daddy, but fell over puppy feet and landed in a heap. Gasping, swearing, moaning, and praying in a mixture of greek and English, he righted me and tried different words he thought would work, waving his wand. Eventually he found one.

"επαναστρέφω." _(revert.)_ Two seconds later, I returned to my human self with the same odd _shifting _sensation. Gingerly taking a small step forward, I convinced myself it was alright and flew to my daddy. He took me up in his arms and gave me my third bone-crushing hug of the day. All I can remember thinking is 'SWEET!'

We went into the kitchen. Grinning impishly up at my dad, with my baby lisp, I said "προσκοπάκι!" and found myself once again in the form of a wolf cub. Absolutely delighted with myself, I ran around the kitchen, getting a feel for my legs, until my daddy caught me up and spoke softly, waving his wand. "επαναστρέφω." I switched back and scowled.

"Shh, little wolf." He said, rocking me gently. I gazed up at him, comfortable in his secure arms.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

We stayed in Greece for another four years, and I went to primary school and made a couple of really good friends. My dad got a job, and we were content for a while. Soon we were both more than competent in greek, and often spoke it to each other. I even started to think in greek sometimes, especially at school.

Then my dad was seen by someone in the town during the full moon. He lost his job, and we had to jump town. Daddy came home one night. I was crying. Everyone at school, including my friends, had been horrible to me. I had growled at them, but resisted the overwhelming temptation to use magic against them. I had promised my daddy, though. I hadn't got a wand, but turns out I am AMAZING at transfiguration. Figures. I'm a complete klutz when it comes to most other things. I could have turned their pencils into cobras if I wanted to, and I did want to, but I resisted and didn't. I may have _accidently _set fire to a couple of books and singed a few eyebrows, but I restricted myself to that.

"πρόκειται να Γαλλία." _(We're going to France) _Daddy said as he came in the door.

"εγώ θα πηγαίνω στο πακετάρω." _(I'll go pack.)_ I said, wiping my amber eyes and brushing my long brown hair out of my face.

"κάνω όχι ανησυχία. εγώ θα." _(Don't worry, I'll do it.) _He said.

True to his word, several minutes later he came into my room. Waving his wand and muttering spells, he packed everything into boxes then made each box (somehow) fold themselves up until they were all about half a centimetre squared. Then he put all eleven cubes into a silk pouch. Turns out he'd already sold the house. We went over the fireplace. Stepping in together, he grabbed the pouch of Floo Powder and threw a small amount into the flames, shouting as he did, "Versailles!"

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

We lived in a small semi-detached house with a secret cellar for the next three years. I was happy. I went to a French school, made some friends, picked up the language quickly, and was delighted to find that the girl two doors down was also looking to be magical. She was from a muggle family. We quickly became best friends, proper best friends. I explained what I knew about magic to her, and in turn she taught me all sorts of obscure muggle things. For example, I fell in love with the iPod, and badgered my dad until he let me have one. It was brilliant.

But I missed Greece like hell. There were no wolves in France, only in zoos. My dad took me to a zoo for my ninth birthday, with Marie, but I had an absolute fit when I saw the wolves penned in, and started growling and screaming at the keepers and trying to open the locks on the doors. Also, the city was so hemmed in. We had had so much space in Valparaiso, and I had been promised a pony for one Christmas, or maybe my tenth birthday. That wasn't going to happen now, so I sulked around the house. However, the arrival of my iPod distracted for a small amount of time, and my dad was looking so weary that I just settled for enjoying my time with him.

We had discussed the possibility of Beauxbatons, me and Marie, my friend. I was looking so forward to it. Me and her, together until we were seventeen! It was perfect. I still wanted the pony, though, and worried about it.

Then my eleventh birthday came around. I had been bugging my dad about the ducks on the pond in the middle of the park a mile or so away for a while, but I had hoped he would forget that when he started to get my presents.

I woke at six o'clock and ran into his room and bounced on the bed.

"σηκώνομαι! échappez à lit! GET UP, DAD!" I tried all three languages I knew, and shouted the last one with enough force that he rolled out of bed and fell on to the floor. Blinking, rubbing his eyes, he got back into bed and lifted the covers.

"Get in, stupide enfante!"

"Whatever," I said, climbing into his bed and grinning as he reached for his wand and conjured the presents out of the cupboard and on to the bed. I fell on the nearest one, a big one, and discovered a pile of books. Pulling a face, I moved on to the next one, a bulky, squishy one. I tore it open hopefully, but it was just a set of long, black robes.

"Dad! Where did you those, the antique shop?" I sighed. He simply smiled enigmatically at me, moved the robes and books to one side, then allowed me to start on the remainder of my presents. The next one was a pretty necklace, diamond and topaz to match my eyes. I hugged him and made him put it on me. I admired it for a moment, then picked up the next present. I discovered a large batch of the latest fashionable clothes, from my cousin Bella. I grinned. It was a full wardrobe. I would be the best dressed person at school for _ages_! I reached for the card.

_Alyss__!_

_Happy Birthday, cousin! Congratulations on reaching the wonderful age of eleven!_

_When you get your wand (which I expect will be really soon now) just tap the item of clothing you wish to change, say 'cutatis umbris!' followed by the colour(s) of your choice. The piece of clothing will change to that colour. I know charms isn't your strong point, but think of it as an aspect of transfiguration, ok? _

_I must go now, have a lovely birthday!_

_Your loving cousin,_

_Bella._

I smiled and grabbed my dad's wand. He couldn't be bothered to protest. I waved the wand a little, then selected a white tank top and said "cutatis umbris tie-die!" The top blossomed colours, and I laughed in delight. The colours stopped moving, and my dad snatched his wand back.

I also got some pretty earrings, a couple of the books I wanted, and a cute pair of pumps. The not-so-good presents were a small silver bowl with two halves, a _tiny _colourful collar, amber-studded, and a cushion saying "QUACK" on it. Sometimes my dad was just weird like that. He had a brilliant sense of humour, though, even if it didn't always show.

I dragged my dad out of bed and down to breakfast. I paused at the door, looking around.

"Daddy, you decorated it!"

"I had help. Alyss, meet Molly, Arthur, Percy, George, Fred and Ronald Weasley."

I whirled around to find myself staring at six red-heads. The youngest boy, Ronald, who couldn't have been more than nine or ten, was looking at his feet. My gaze travelled over Mr and Mrs Weasley, over the fifteen-year-old Percy, and on to the twins. Something clicked. I watched it click with them, too. We all moved closer, the three of us, but then I found myself drawn into a motherly hug by Molly Weasley. She drew back and pinched my cheek.

"My, haven't you grown! You were such a small little girl when I saw you last." Arthur nodded in agreement. Then they both drew Remus to one side, to have a long chat. Percy followed them, pulling Ronald along with him. I watched them go. Then I felt the twins move up behind me.

"Well, haven't seen you in a while!"

"It's been what, eight years now, right Fred?"

"Right George."

They continued in this manner for several minutes, circling me. They both came round to stand in front of me.

"Hiya, Alyss."

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

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	2. Birthday Baby

They both took a step forward

**It is difficult to say who do you the most mischief: **

**enemies with the worst intentions or friends with the best.**

They both took a step forward. They were pretty imposing, so I took a step backwards, and fell over the rope they had somehow managed to tie across the room without me seeing. This tended to happen to me and Marie and school a lot, and I knew the best way to make people feel guilty was to fake injury. I burst into tears and cradled my wrist. Fred and George both looked stricken and moved in closer. I chose a few of my favourite French words and yelled in his face. I was astonished when he replied, somewhat shakily, in the same language. Pausing to consider, I realised that I had forgotten to cry.

I renewed my sobs, and spat so furiously at the twins in greek that my dad turned around. He saw me crying and hastened over.

"Little Wolf, what happened?"

"They – _sniff _– pushed me over and I – _sob _– hurt my wrist." I said, in between fake crying. Dad waved his wand over my wrist, and I immediately stopped crying. Fred was still staring worriedly at me, but I could see a faint hint of comprehension on George's face. Frowning, I was dimly aware of the other adults crossing the room. Then Ronald, the sweetie that he was, tried to give me a big hug. I hugged him back for a minute, then rose to my feet, wiped my eyes and gave the twins death-glares.

I had to give it to Mrs Weasley, she knows how to lighten the tension.

"Now then, dear, I think it's time we presented you with your birthday present."

She fumbled around in her handbag, then withdrew a small, messily wrapped box. I practically snatched it from her, and tore off the wrapping paper. George looked quite hurt at this point, and I learnt later that he had spent a good deal of time wrapping it. The box was covered in a dark brown velvet. I snapped it open, and a small spherical locket was nestled against creamy cloth. With a gasp, I pulled it out. It hung on a delicate silver chain.

"I picked the necklace, dear. Now, your father tells me that you miss your old home, Valparaiso. Fred came up with this idea. Here you go, sweetheart." Mrs Weasley said, beckoning Fred forward and making Arthur hand him his wand.

Fred came to stand in front of me. He gently plucked the necklace from my hands. Then, waving his dad's wand over it, he said delicately, "Sing Softly for me."

The necklace began to glow, and as I watched it, hanging from Fred's hands, I was awestruck. It gradually faded from silver to crystal, and inside I could see my picture, of me and Harry and the twins. Then the locket produced a high, clear note, and then another, and another, and then a voice began to sing the words over the top of the notes.

_Chase the dog star  
Over the sea  
Home where my true love is waiting for me  
Rope the south wind  
Canvas the stars  
Harness the moonlight  
So she can safely go  
Round the Cape Horn to Valparaiso_

Red the port light  
Starboard the green  
How will she know of the devils I've seen  
Cross in the sky, star of the sea  
Under the moonlight, there she can safely go  
Round the Cape Horn to Valparaiso  
Valparaiso

And every road I walked would take me down to the sea  
With every broken promise in my sack  
And every love would always send the ship of my heart  
Over the rolling sea

If I should die  
And water's my grave  
She'll never know if I'm damned or I'm saved  
See the ghost fly over the sea  
Under the moonlight, there she can safely go  
Round the Cape Horn to Valparaiso  
Valparaiso  
Valparaiso  
Valparaiso

It was haunting in its simplicity, with no music to detract from the beauty. I gazed at Fred as the song played. He stared right back at me, unwaveringly.

Then the song finished, and I was left with a sense of loss. Then Fred spoke again. "It is finished, darkness reigns." The locket stopped glowing, and I almost cried out as the crystal returned to silver, and the picture faded. Gently, Fred hung it round my neck. Then my dad broke the silence.

"That's the only time she has ever been totally quiet. Thank you, my saviors!" He said, turning to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They both laughed, and I jumped up and whacked him on the arm, feeling and enjoying the locket bouncing against my chest. I then whirled around and hugged Fred around the neck, giving him a massive kiss on the cheek. George got the same treatment, and I heard Fred mutter,

"All he did was _wrap_ the stupid thing."

I heard my dad talking again.

"That's incredibly advanced magic, I have to say. Your son is talented, Molly."

"Don't I know it, but he wastes it on stupid practical jokes you'll never believe."

"You forget that I was one quarter of the most notorious pranksters ever to grace Hogwarts with our presence!"

"Yes, I do forget. Everything's changed so much since then."

I sensed an awkward silence was about to ensue, so I yelled to the room at large,

"BREAKFAST TIME!"

"Yeah!"

"Alright!" The twins shouted almost simultaneously. I scrambled for the big chair at the head of the table, covered with balloons and streamers. As we all sat down, there was a loud _pop_, and another red-headed boy appeared, holding on to his brother and sister.

"Bill! You took your time, son! Come on, you sit here, Charlie you over there, and Ginny, you come sit next to me, dear." Molly said, glancing up and down the table. All three Weasleys took their seats, and then everyone – led by Fred and George and I – dived for the food.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

We were all lying or sitting on sofas around the sitting room, with the exception of Charlie, who was sitting on the floor leaning against the sofa, with Ginny asleep in his lap. We were all pretty full, but my dad wasn't done.

"Now then, Little Wolf, I want to present you with your _main _present."

I frowned curiously, thinking I had already received all my presents. Then the back door burst open, and everyone flung themselves around to see what had come in.

It was a duck.

That's right, a duck. I looked up at my dad, thinking maybe it was a mistake. But he was smiling, and I remembered the ducks on the pond ……

"Dad, you didn't!" I burst out, thinking he had stolen it.

"No, Little Wolf, I didn't steal it. It's from the Magical Muggle Pet Shop in Diagon Alley. You need to give him a name, then he'll be yours, and he'll do anything for you. He has had various enchantments put on him, so he'll fetch and carry your mail when you get to school, he's completely house trained, and he'll even protect you if someone is mean to you. So go ahead, give him a name, quick!"

With a start, I realized the point of the bowl, and the collar, and the cushion. Grinning, I looked wildly around for inspiration, and I caught sight of what the duck was standing next to.

"Bucket! He's Bucket! Bucket the Duck!"

Several looks were exchanged, but I was proud of the name. I went over to the duck, slowly, and said "Bucket," to him several times. Recognizing that I had named him, he flapped up into my arms and nestled down, beady eyes blinking up me. Then he opened his beak and a small key fell out. I set him down on the floor and picked up the key. I turned questioningly to my dad.

"That's the key to our new house, sweetie. We're moving to Cornwall, to a little village called Valparaiso, just like in Greece."

"Really! Daddy, that's wonderful!"

"Well, I think we ought to be off now, Remus," said Molly, beginning to herd her reluctant children out of the front door.

"Very well, Molly, I'll see you soon, I expect."

"Yes. Goodbye Alyss."

"Goodbye Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley. Bill, Charlie, Ginny. Ronald. Fred, George," I said, nodding to the last two. They grinned identical smiles at me then the entire family stepped into the fireplace one by one and disappeared.

I turned to my dad. "Daddy, will I get my Beauxbatons letter soon?"

He sighed, seeming to make a decision.

"Little Wolf, I don't think you're going to Beauxbatons. I believe that there is a letter on the way, informing us of your acceptance to Hogwarts."

"But I want to go to Beauxbatons with Marie, Dad."

"Hogwarts is better, sweetie. It's my school! It's where James and Sirius and Peter and I all went! Fred and George are going."

I swayed slightly but then, right on cue, on owl swooped into the room and dropped a letter on the counter before flying straight back outside again. Immediately it departed another owl arrived, and did the same. My dad went over and picked up both letters.

One had the Hogwarts Crest on. The other had the Beauxbatons Crest. The letters both said the exact same thing, just in different languages.

_Dear Miss Lupin,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Terms begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress._

_Chère__Mlle__ Lupin,_

_Nous avons le plaisir de vous informer_ _vous avez une situer à l'école de Beauxbatons de Sorcellerie et Sorcier. Veuillez trouver ci-joint une énumérer de toutes nécessaire livres et équipement. Les termes le commencement on 1 Septembre. Nous attendre votre hibou près de pas d'ultérieur que 31 Juillet. _

_Veuill__ez agréer,_

_M Marc Janier_

_Suppléant Proviseur_

I stared up at my dad. He held my gaze, and I was forced to look away.

"I'm going to Beauxbatons, dad."

"You don't belong there. You are going to Hogwarts."

"Beauxbatons."

"I'm not arguing with you, Alyss. You are going to Hogwarts."

"I am NOT!" I shouted, running from the room. Bucket followed me, flapping along after my running feet. I ran into my room, Bucket right behind me, and slammed the door shut. I quickly ran across the room, opened the window, climbed out onto the sill, and then clambered up the drainpipe onto the roof. Bucket flew up and settled down on the chimney. I sat on the ridge, staring across our suburb into the very far distance, where I could see green, open space and trees and shrubs. I sighed. I wanted to be there, where I could run, not here.

"Alyss?! Where are you? Alyss? You come right back here, young lady." I could hear my father shouting from below me. I could tell that he was really cross. I was a little worried – he rarely got angry. I had inherited my mother's insanely short temper.

"Alyss Astraea Lupin! COME HERE!" I could hear his voice getting more and more worried, and I could hear him beginning to ransack my bedroom looking for me. I slid down the side of the roof hurriedly, remembering some things I'd hidden that I didn't want him to find. I dropped onto the windowsill and from there into the room. He stopped messing my bedroom up and came towards me, hugging me. I pushed him away, and we locked eyes in a trial of strength.

"Well how about this then, Little Wolf? You go to Hogwarts for your first two years, then if you really don't like it you can go to Beauxbatons."

"I am not going to Hogwarts, dad!"

"Alyss, Beauxbatons is not right for you. And besides, who will look after Harry when he gets there if you don't?"

That wasn't fair. He knew how much I loved my little godbrother. It was a love that had stayed with me since we fled England, even though I was only three at the time. His eyes were still on me, and I saw fire in their depths. With a sigh, I turned away.

"Fine," I said, in a small voice, "I'll go to Hogwarts. But I hate you for making me."

He gulped. I'd never told him I hated him before. His eyes creased up. Pathetically, I couldn't bear it. But instead of jumping into his arms, I ran past him, out of the door, and out into our tiny garden. I started to panic. There was nowhere to run, nowhere I could go. My breathing increased. I felt something close to panic. The buildings were spinning around me, taunting me with the oppressiveness. I was dimly aware of my dad coming out into the garden. Then, he was there, and I was in his arms, and everything was a little easier to bear.

"There, there, Little Wolf, just breathe deeply." He murmured, soothingly. I did as instructed, and everything stopped spinning. I collapsed, and my dad picked me up and carried me into the house. He carried me up the stairs, and lay me down on the bed. He cleared the room with a quick flick of his wand, and then went downstairs to get me some water. I propped myself up on one elbow, and gazed around my room. It was quite small, and every inch was covered with various posters, most of horses, but I had the odd duck and lots of wolves. I glanced at my bedside table and righted the pictures that had fallen. One was of me and my dad, smiling and laughing together. I had another one of my mother, and then the third was my special picture.

My dad reappeared, and made me drink the water. I did so, then hugged him tight. My pride wouldn't let me apologise, though. He smiled at me, then pulled me off the bed.

"Right, pick something nice to wear. We're going to Diagon Alley!"

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

I gazed around in wonder, all thoughts of arguments with my dad forgotten. It was slightly hot out, so I loosened my robe.

"Alyss, I told you not to wear that skirt! It's far too short!"

"Whatever, dad." I said, pulling it down a little so it covered more of my thighs. He sighed, and waved his wand. It grew into a long pair of jeans and I pouted up at him. He shrugged.

"It had better get back to normal when we get home."

"It will. Now then, let's start with cauldrons."

We went into the shop, and picked out the perfect cauldrons. I wanted a solid silver one, but my dad made me have a plain pewter one. We went up and down the street, popping into different shops if we saw something we liked. We didn't bother going into Madam Malkins', because I already had robes, the ones dad had given me for my birthday.

He didn't want to go into the bookshop, but I made him take me in. I picked out ten books, and dumped them on the counter. I waved dad over.

"Dad, you need to pay for these."

He pulled out his money absent-mindedly and handed over the money. I grinned at the witch behind the counter as she put them in a bag, and put a feather-light charm on the bag so it was easy to carry. I smiled at my dad and put them into the shopping bag he was carrying, that was charmed to fit everything in.

"Hang on, Alyss, I said one book!"

"Too late now, dad. Come on, let's go get Bucket his food!"

I dragged him into the Magical Muggle Pet Shop. I picked out the nicest looking duck treats, and some special drink for him that would make him happy. The shop was relatively empty, although there were a couple of people looking at dogs and cats.

Then, finally, my dad took me into Ollivander's. It was dark, dingy, and empty. My dad pinged the bell on the counter. A short, wizened old man with a shock of white hair appeared behind the counter. He looked me up and down, introduced himself, and greeted us. Then he plucked a bow from just behind the counter.

"Here. Oak wood and dragon heartstring. Give it a wave."

I did so. Nothing happened. With a sigh, Ollivander grabbed another box.

"Cherry and Phoenix feather."

The same thing happened. And with the next, and the next, and the next. I watched with mounting horror as the pile of boxes grew and still not a single one had chosen me.

Ollivander stopped for a moment, quite suddenly. He raised my chin and looked deep into his eyes, glancing at my father before looking back at me. Seeming to make a decision, he nodded.

"Follow me, please."

We did so, and he led us into a small back room.

"This is the room for experimental wands, made with rare or unusual woods or cores. Here. Try …… this one."

He took down a velvet covered wooden box, and snapped it open.

"Silver Birch from the Greek town of Valparaiso, dragon heartstring, with an amber handle. Eleven inches."

This was it. This wand was made for _me_, and me alone.

I took it carefully. A wonderful _warm _feeling filled me, and I grinned wildly up at both men. I swished it through the air, gold and silver sparks falling through the air. Then I transfigured a chair into a squirrel and back again. Ollivander smiled.

"There you go, young lady. That's twenty galleons, please." He said, to my father. Raising his eyebrows a little at the price, my dad handed the money over.

"It was a pleasure doing business." Ollivander grinned at us, and showed us out of the shop.

As we left, I grinned up at my dad. All I had to do now was survive until September.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

**Okay, all that remains for me to do is beg reviews!**

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling. The rest is mine.**


	3. ne m'oubliez pas

I almost didn't survive until September

"**People's dreams are made out of what they do all day. The same way a dog that runs after ****rabbits**** will dream of ****rabbits****. It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.**" – **Barbara Kingsolver**

I almost didn't survive until September. On July 25th, my dad and I went to stay with the Weasleys. We went by floo network, with Bucket securely in his carry-case. We both pitched up in the Weasleys kitchen. Only Mrs Weasley was in there.

"Fred, George, Alyss is here!"

The two boys came bounding into the room.

"Finally!" They said at the same time, each of them grabbing a suitcase. I had brought two. I always overpack. Our stuff was being moved to our new house, and we would stay with the Weasleys for three or four weeks before we touched down there for ten days or so, then I'd be off to school.

"Come on, Alyss, you're in our room." They lugged my suitcases up the stairs. We reached their room. I went in first, fell over a large box which tipped and spilled out a load of small, pink creatures that hopped about everywhere.

"Oh, smooth, Alyss. Now we've got to clear it up." Both twins dumped their bags and pushed past me into the room. They both stood, feet apart, stamping hard if any of the funny little things tried to exit the room. I managed to catch one that they missed and held it up. Hmm. It looked like a giant bumblebee, except with no wings and no sting, and pink and purple stripes instead of black and yellow. I sighed, and flung it to the floor. Was there no end to the weirdness of these two boys?

Somehow, eventually, they drove all the funny insects back into the box and shut it tight. I was by this point sitting on the stairs outside the room, playing Sonic the Hedgehog on my iPod and listening to various songs. The twins came and sat down on either side of me. I was so absorbed in the game that I didn't notice them until George poked the screen. I whacked him on the arm. His finger had momentarily distracted me and Sonic had fallen into the lava. Angrily I pulled the earphones out of my ears.

"_What_?" I asked, stroppily.

"Um, we're done now. What is that thing?"

"An iPod, _duh_! Right, show me my bed."

Both twins were fascinated by my iPod, so I let them examine it and walked into the room. I wrinkled my nose slightly. There was a strong smell of _boys _in it, so I quickly threw open the large window and let the breeze go through the room. Putting my head out through the window, I gazed in delight at the rolling fields and large open spaces. It felt so right.

Then I turned to survey the room at large. There were two twin beds, one with green covers and the other with blue. Then there was a camp bed next to the door. Sighing, I pushed it over to under the window, shifting a scorched desk out of the way first. The twins came in and handed over my iPod. I could tell they wanted an explanation, and I would have given them one, but then I noticed the drain-pipe running up the length of the house. I stuck my head back out the window, and studied the area. I think Fred and George were a little relieved when I drew my head back in, but then I climbed up onto the sill, and from their point of view disappeared. I quickly shimmied up the drainpipe – you wouldn't believe how easy it is with practice – and clambered onto the roof. Once up there, I looked around. I liked rooftops. They say a lot about a house. This roof was rambling and patchy and possibly a little unstable. It was lumpy and bumpy, but had a certain charm. I went and sat on the edge, peering down. I could just see the tops of Fred and George's heads, staring down. I think they thought I'd jumped.

"Do you think we should tell mum?"

"No, Remus'll kill us."

"But if she jumped ……"

"She's not stupid enough to jump, moron."

I interrupted at that point. "No, she's not stupid enough to jump, you're right, George." Both boys whipped to face upwards, and caught sight of my legs. Swearing, they both glared at me.

"You get right down here. We don't go on the roof! What kind of suicidal freak are you?" Fred yelled.

"I like roofs." I replied, dreamily, sliding down over the side and climbing back down the drainpipe, into the room. I received two massive hugs. Then the twins pulled back and glared at me.

"Retard." They told me.

"Charlieeee!" I shot right back. They looked at each other worriedly then back at me.

"Excuse me?" George asked. I shoved my face really close to his.

"Candy mountain, Charlie! We're going to candy mountain, Charlie!"

"What are you _on?_" Fred asked. I turned to him, grabbing my iPod. Then I put the earphones in their ears, and made them watch my downloaded version of 'Charlie the Unicorn.' They both in absolute tears of laughter by the end of it. They were laughing so hard they didn't even bother to ask me how the iPod worked.

As they watched, I unpacked my things. Glancing around, I noticed a large chest of drawers. To my delight, the bottom drawer was free, and I put a quarter of my clothes in there. I left the boys to play with my iPod and went to find my dad's room.

He was down three floors and two rooms along. I burst into the room, hugging him and then pulling back.

"Daddy……"

"What do you want?"

"Space for my clothes, PLEASE, daddy. I've only been able to put away like twenty-five percent of my stuff. Fred and George have got their room full of explos- I mean, stuff. So please?"

"Fine." He replied, opening his wardrobe. With a massive grin, I hung my dresses and skirts up, and put my other clothes away, and then kissed him on the cheek and went back upstairs. I arrived in the twins' room just as Molly projected her voice to announce dinner. I whirled around, fell down two steps, pushed my hair behind my ears, jumped up and crashed all the way down the stairs, each step heavier than the last. I arrived at the bottom of the stairs and ran into the kitchen.

Everyone else was sitting down and they all looked up as arrived in the kitchen. Face burning, I slunk into a chair next to my dad. Mrs Weasley started to dish all the food out. I can honestly say I have never tasted anything better in my entire life.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

When dinner was finally finished I ran upstairs to let Bucket out to stretch his wings. Then I started to rootle through Fred and George's room. I started with the wardrobe, but when I tried to open the thing it grew arms and pushed me away. I stumbled over a bright purple box that exploded up into my face, and landed heavily on George's bed. Immediately the bedclothes tried to strangle me. I pushed them away with a yell, and then sat in the middle of the floor, facing the door. I was _so _not gonna let anything else get me.

I think Fred and George were a little surprised when they opened their door and found me sitting, frowning heavily, in the middle of their room with scorch marks on the walls.

"Did you try to open the wardrobe?" George asked, a little warily. I ignored him and got up and left the room.

"Why didn't you just go out earlier?" Fred queried, sounding amused. I turned to face him, catching him by surprise. I put my face very close to his.

"Because, retard, I was afraid the door might eat me, okay?"

"It wouldn't eat you, I promise." He replied. I withdrew my face.

"Well, if I find any charms on _anything_ when I come to bed tonight I am sleeping in my dad's room, got that? Oh, and I will also make you very sorry, although I am considering doing that anyway."

"You wouldn't dare." George said, grinning impishly. I looked back over my shoulder with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh wouldn't I?"

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

When the twins went to bed that night they each found a nice surprise waiting at the bottom of their bed. I grinned happily as they yelled and jumped around the room, swearing. With death-glares at me, they went downstairs to change their sheets. I snuggled down into my bed and shut my eyes.

I must have been asleep for a few hours before I woke up again. I think I am possibly a minor insomniac, because if I wake up in the middle of the night I can _never _get back to sleep again. I tossed and turned for what felt like years, and as usual my mind turned to nasty things that decreased the likelihood of sleep even further. Tonight the only thing I could think about was what I had said to Marie yesterday.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

"_Marie?" I started, hesitantly. She looked up from her doll, who's hair she was plaiting._

"_What?" She asked, smiling happily. I could see the pile of blue-grey silk that was obviously her Beauxbatons uniform in the corner of the room._

"_I'm not going to Beauxbatons. My dad says I have to go to Hogwarts."_

_She laughed at me. "Look, you joke around so much I'm never going to believe you when you tell me the truth!"_

"_I'm not joking, Marie. I have to go to England. It's my true home. I was born there. My dad went to Hogwarts, so I will too."_

"_You can't! You have to come to Beauxbatons with me! They don't speak French at Hogwarts!"_

"_If I really hate Hogwarts as much as I think I will, I can go to Beauxbatons in two years. Don't be mad, please." I entreated, eyes pleading. She scowled at me, then seemed to come to a decision._

"_Well, I suppose it's only two years, right? We'll see each other soon? And you'll come back here every holiday?"_

"_I'm moving to Cornwall." _

"_Oh no, Alyss! Come here, let me plait your hair."_

_She plaited it into a long French plait, hanging down my back._

"_Remember me every time you wear your hair like this."_

"_I will. Here, let's exchange rings, friendship rings!" _

_We ran down her stairs into the kitchen where our parents were having tea._

"_Maman!" Marie shouted, running to her mother. "Alyss has to leave, so we're going to buy each other rings! Come on, papa, you're paying." _

_I ran to my dad and pulled him to his feet, talking in Greek._

"_You owe me this, dad." Then I switched to French again. "Right, back here in an hour with the perfect ring!"_

"_Why don't we get them engraved?" Marie asked, pulling on her fashionable red coat and cute sandals. I shoved my jumper over my head, freeing my plait from under the collar before pushing my feet into my trainers and dragging my dad out of the door. He managed a hurried goodbye to Marie's parents before I told him to apparate. I have to say, guilt makes any father turn to putty in his daughters hands._

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

I fiddled with my hair as I thought, trying not to cry as I remembered Marie's tear-stained face as my dad and I got into our taxi and drove to the airport. (I wanted to try the muggle way of travelling.) The ring was a solid silver band, delicately twisted with white-gold, and words on the inside reading _never forget. _I had been surprised when I read the English, but she had smiled through her tears.

"I want your friends to be able to read it."

Mine to her was also silver, studded with sapphires as blue as her eyes. Inside it said _ne m'oubliez pas_. Forget me not.

Her mum had taken it off her and shut it in it's box.

"You mustn't lose it, Marie, so you shall have it when you reach sixteen."

My dad did the same, so here I was, lying on a camp bed in a room with two boys, ringless and grumpy as hell. Sleep is something the body needs, and I had been getting less and less of it since my birthday when the Hogwarts letter arrived. I sighed heavily and turned over yet again. I saw Bucket's eyes glinting from his cage, so I reached over, unhooked the catch and pulled him into bed with me. For a duck, he was surprisingly cuddly. He settled right down next to me and went to sleep, but I was still wide awake.

I switched off my iPod and lay in the complete dark for a while before things started becoming more in focus. I put my head back and the stars were shining down on me, winking brightly. I gazed up at them, my eyes instantly drawn to the Dog Star. I wondered if Uncle Sirius was looking at those stars through the bars of his cell. Idly I stroked Bucket's back, mesmerised by the sky. Suddenly, I heard footsteps on the landing outside. I jumped up on soft feet, flicking into wolf form for a second to get my bearings before back into human and making my way carefully along the clutter-free path I had discerned. My dad was outside the door, about to open it. He drew me out into the hallway.

"Thank goodness you're awake," he said in greek. "It's Ginny's birthday tomorrow and Molly and Arthur are getting desperate. She wants a baby rabbit, and they've got the cage and food, but they couldn't get a rabbit anywhere, at least not a baby one, so I just thought ……"

I interrupted at this point. "You thought I could go get one? Sure I will, I can't sleep anyway." He grinned down at me in the darkness and I smiled back, climbing down the stairs, keeping near the wall because the stairs creak less there. I trod slowly through the kitchen to the back door, lifting the latch and closing the door behind me. Then I switched down into wolf form again – I didn't need the spell any more, I had been practising – and padded out into the warm night air. I stretched out happily, legs swinging in that characteristic lope that carried me far through the night to a distant stand of trees. It was probably going to be difficult to catch one this early, but I was banking on the apparent lack of predators nearby to have the rabbits out in force.

I was lucky. I entered the trees, and immediately my pricked ears caught the sound of pattering feet against the earth, and my nose picked up that furry, timid smell that means rabbit. More fur than timidity, so it was a young one. With one great bound I bowled it over, grabbing it by the scruff and running away before any of the other animals among the trees came to investigate. The journey back took a little longer, as I was hampered by the rabbit swinging from my jaw. It was dead still and I was afraid it had died of shock, but then I reached the house, switched back into my girl form and handed it over to my dad, who was waiting on the porch.

"Good girl," he said, hugging me awkwardly with the rabbit in one hand before bending down and placing it in the hutch ready and waiting. He winked at me, and I giggled and ran back upstairs for a few more hours of insomnia before everybody else got up.


	4. Mother

Ginny absolutely loved her new rabbit, immediately christening him Fluffy, to everyone's delight, and refusing to stop playing with him for the rest of the day

**Okay, a note to the wise: I have removed anonymous reviews as an option because I am sick of people being t****oo cowardly to log in and tell me what they really think of my stories, rather than using an anonymous review to be horrible and not giving me the option of explaining things to them. I'll listen when that sort of person grows some backbone.**

"**Tears are words the heart can't express****" - Anon**

Ginny absolutely loved her new rabbit, immediately christening him Fluffy, to everyone's delight, and refusing to stop playing with him for the rest of the day. After lunch, Charlie dragged me outside to the broom cupboard, where a cluttered mess of broomsticks was lying on the floor. Fred and George and Bill and Ron raced in to grab a broom each, then Charlie handed me one and grabbed one for himself. The brooms were old and tatty and dirty, so I held it rather gingerly. We all trooped out into the orchard and then everyone got on their brooms and kicked off, leaving me on the ground. With a sigh, Bill dropped down, lifting the broom stick off the ground. It hovered at my waist, and Bill lifted me up and sat me on it. I gulped, knuckles white where I was holding on to the wood. Bill grinned down at me from where he'd leapt onto his broom.

"Come on, push off from the ground, get up here!"

With a frown, I did so, feeling safer by the minute. I eventually reached the same height as everybody else, and Bill took command.

"Right, I'm with George and Alyss. Charlie, Fred and Ron, you guys are together."

"But I want to go with Fred!" said George grumpily. Fred grinned at him.

"Only because you're afraid I'll take you out if we're on different teams."

"Fine, bring it."

With this sparkling interchange, Charlie tossed the ball up into the air. George sped forward and caught it, chucking it to Bill who then threw it to me as Ron tried to take him out. I missed completely and almost fell off my broom. Grimacing, I dove to pick the ball up, completely messing up my throw, the ball ending up on the ground about two metres from where it started. I glanced up with a sheepish grin.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

That night, I didn't even get an hours sleep. I don't know what it is about me, but some nights I just can't drop off. It happens most when I'm somewhere unfamiliar, especially with people I don't know. I was _so _dreading the nights at Hogwarts. I turned over and over, unable to rest.

Suddenly, I heard a voice, after midnight.

"Alyss?"

I turned over, two points of light shining from George's bed.

"Yes?" I whispered back, determined not to wake Fred.

"Can you not sleep?"

"No."

"Come on then, hop in with me." He said, squirming backwards and letting me clamber into his bed with my soft-toy pony. He curled up around me, and I finally felt safe, and dropped off to sleep almost immediately.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

All I can remember about the rest of my stay with the Weasleys is more and more quidditch. I kept being told that I would improve, but turned out I got worse. My insomnia also got worse, unless George woke up and let me climb in with him, so by the end of the stay I was a bit of a wreck. It was with deep relief – however much I loved the Weasleys – that we finally left. Three and half weeks with almost no sleep begins to get to you, no matter how cheerful you try to remain. I was totally psyched up for travelling by plane again – I loved it so much the first time. My dad and I loaded up a rented car at the airport, then began the three hour drive down to our new house on the south coast of Cornwall. I pressed my face up against the window and watched London go past.

"Why doesn't it look any different from Paris, Dad?"

"I don't know, I guess all muggle cities look the same."

"Hmm." I then pulled out one of my new books and started to read it, glancing up occasionally as the world went by. The rain started to clear as we got further away from London, and I perked up a bit.

"What're you reading, honey?" My dad asked, taking his attention off the road for a minute.

"It's a book I got from Marie for my birthday. It's about a different kind of magic than ours, it doesn't need wands."

"Not all of us need wands, little wolf." He took one hand off the steering wheel and flicked his wrist, a red flame appearing on his palm for a minute before disappearing. There was a screech as the distracted driver of the car next to us managed to stall the stupid thing. I gave the pale faced man a _what-the-hell-are-you-looking-at? _glare before returning to my book.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

I have to say, my dad had good taste when it comes to buying new homes. The house was beautiful, sitting a little way back from a cliff over a golden beach. When we arrived, the setting sun was casting rose-pink shadows across the whitewash. It had a veranda at the back with a metal table and chairs, and a red front door. It was like something out of a picture book. My dad unlocked the front door, and I ran through the house, bursting through the back door and gazing in delight at the landscape in front of me. The sea shone with the last of the sun's rays and my eyes wandered around the landscape. A set of winding stone steps led down to the beach, I could see the railings next to them. I looked left, and saw a paddock fenced in. My dad came up to stand beside me.

"Daddy, is that our field?" I asked, indicating it.

"Yes, it came with the house." He replied. I turned my massive grin on him.

"That means I can have a pony! I love you, daddy!"

"Hold your horses, Alyss," he said. I grimaced.

"Daddy, that was an _awful _joke."

"No pun intended, I swear. You can't have a pony, Alyss. Who would take care of it while you're at school?"

"You, silly."

"No, I'm getting a job. I bought a bookshop in the town and I'm going to be there almost all the time."

A sudden thought hit me, distracting me from my pony dilemma for a minute.

"Dad, won't you be lonely while I'm away?"

"Yes, but I'll cope. After all, I didn't always have you, did I?"

"No, but ……"

"No buts, sweetheart, you're going to school. You can't get out of it that easily."

"Whatever." I replied, frowning, before running upstairs. I claimed the room with the sea-view. My dad got the biggest room, but I didn't care. Then he quickly ordered everything to unpack itself, and by ten o'clock we were snuggled down in bed. I was a little afraid. After all, it was my first night in the new house, so I crept through to my dad's room and snuggled down in bed with him.

He was still awake, and he allowed me to cuddle up to him.

"Daddy? Quel est Hogwarts comme?" (What is Hogwarts like?) I asked, gazing up at him.

"I'll tell you if you promise to speak English from now on, darling. You're going to an English school, you need to speak the language. I've allowed you to speak French and Greek for too long."

"Si je parle Anglais, vous fera m'enseigne l'espagnol ?" (If I speak English will you teach me Spanish?) I asked, looking up at him seriously.

"What, in the ten days we have before you go back to school?"

"Oui."

"Okay, we'll start. But you have to speak English, okay?"

"Okay, I will." My accent was terrible – not any recognizable one, but terrible anyway. I hadn't noticed it before, I'd been too engrossed in what was going on around me. It would probably explain why I was often asked to repeat things.

"Oh, _merde_, daddy, how will people understand me?"

"Alyss, if I ever hear you swear again, you will be severely punished, d'you hear?" He said, frowning at me. I grimaced and nodded. "All you can do is chatter like you usually do. You'll get back into the swing of it soon enough. After all, it is your first language."

I snorted and snuggled down under the covers, more worried than ever about going to school.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

My dad piled everything into the boot of the car with a flick of his wand before opening the door for me. I was gulping, trying to quell my nerves, conscious that if I was sick I would dirty my outfit, and I had spent the last three days trying to decide what to wear. I had initially wanted to wear some jeans and a halter-neck top, but my dad had forced me into a sweater instead. I was pretty annoyed – I wanted to make a good impression. My dad caught the look on my face and frowned.

"Alyss, you're not still annoyed about the clothes, are you? I'm your father, and you're eleven. What your cousin was thinking of sending you those clothes I don't know."

I was too scared to fight back, but I think he mistook my timid silence for sullenness.

"And I've asked Fred and George to make sure that you wear suitable clothes, alright? I've taken out any clothes I deem inappropriate from your trunk, and replaced them with better ones that a nice lady at the shop in town picked out."

I got into the car, shutting the door, noting my trembling hand. My dad walked round to the other side of the car and got in. He put some muggle music on, a new CD he'd bought as a gift – who am I kidding, a bribe – for my going to Hogwarts and behaving well.

I lasted half the journey before I broke down into tears. We were coasting along the motorway when I felt the first tear well up, and from then on it was waterworks all the way. Dad handed me a handkerchief and let me cry myself out, and by the time we reached London I was a little calmer. With a final, gigantic sniff, I pulled myself together and stopped sobbing. We drew up outside Kings Cross and my dad came round to my side of the car, helped me out, and gave me a massive hug, stroking my hair.

"It's all right, little wolf, you're going to be fine. You're getting better and better at Spanish, and your accent is a lot better now. Hogwarts will be perfect for you. Come on, it's time to face the music."

He took my hand, both of us using our free hands to push the trolley that was piled high with all sorts of paraphernalia. Bucket was perched in his cage on the top, looking slight put out. My dad was in the middle of telling me an awful joke as we walked through the barrier between platforms nine and ten, and I was sticking two fingers up at the amazed muggle in the ticket booth, when suddenly a familiar voice reached our ears.

"Ah, Remus, you finally found the guts to return to England, then?"

We turned round in sync, just like they do in movies. There was a woman standing on the platform in front of the train, glaring at my dad. She was elegantly dressed, her long dark hair pinned up stylishly, and she was amazingly beautiful. I recognized her in a second.

"Mother," I said, shooting daggers at her.

"Alyss," she said, slightly breathlessly, bending down and taking my hand, pulling me away from my dad. She hugged me, and I almost choked on the heavy perfume she was wearing. "How are you, my baby? I've missed you so much."

I hate her. Always used to play the guilt game with my dad, and now it looked like I was going to be sucked into it too. But, I wasn't going to let her get away with that. I smiled and pushed out of the hug, a simpering look on my face as she straightened up. I glanced back over my shoulder and winked at my dad before turning to face the woman again.

"You're not my mother." I told her, still smiling.

"Don't be silly, sweetheart, of course I am. You're starting to look just like me."

"Liar. I'm not even pretty, and you are very pretty. Besides, I have no mother. She left when I was little, and gave me up. I have no mother. You lost that chance, mummy." I was only eleven, and I suddenly realised that all the other little girls around me saying goodbye were hugging both their mums _and _their dads. It wasn't fair.

"Alyss."

"Alyss, come here." Both my parents spoke at once.

"Alyss, I have looked after you almost all your life. Come here."

"Alyss, you're my daughter, you're my spitting image. Come to me."

I moved back, dragging the heavy trolley, furious.

"Don't you dare make me choose." I said, before turning and pushing the trolley as fast as I could. I heard their raised voices calling after me, but I was already losing myself in the crowd, determined not to cry and make a fool out of myself on the platform.

I was trying to raise my ridiculously heavy trunk onto the train when I heard a voice behind me.

"Need a hand?" It was Charlie Weasley, back for his final year at Hogwarts. I almost cried with relief.

"Please!" I begged, smiling up at him through tear filled eyes. He grinned down, chucking me under the chin before pulling out his wand and levitating everything onto the train.

"I thought we weren't allowed to do magic outside school?" I queried as he helped me onto the train.

"I'm seventeen, had my birthday last November. I'm legal, now. Come on, the troublesome twosome are looking for you." He reached down and took my hand, pulling me along the train. I'm pretty sure that his helpful disposition wasn't entirely the reason for helping me, because as we went along the corridor down the side of the train various seventh year girls stuck their heads out of their compartments and cooed over me, complimenting Charlie on being such a gentleman. I looked up at him quizzically before we finally reached the end carriage.

Charlie slid the door open and shoved all my stuff up onto the rack above our heads as I greeted Fred and George, who all but knocked me down with their enthusiastic hellos.

"Jeez, guys, it's been ten days!"

Charlie smiled at me before going out, but I ran after him.

"Charlie, do you have a girlfriend?" I asked, giving him my most innocent look.

"No, I don't, why?" He sounded amused.

"That blonde girl seven doors up was talking about you – in a nice way – to her friends before she noticed us. You were talking to that guy – I think his name was Daniel – and then she saw us and went all pink and then - "

"Okay, thanks, I get the idea. You're a good kid." He interrupted me, then patted me on the head, and moved off.

"Next door up!" I yelled as he went to turn the handle of the wrong door. He waved at me and I smirked and went back in to the twins.

They were sitting on opposite sides of the carriage, wearing their innocent looks.

"Okay, what did you do?" I asked warily, afraid to sit down in case the seat tried to bite me.

"Nothing to you, don't worry!" Fred said with a massive grin. I frowned but sat down next to George.

"Why am I always the one that gets rejected?" Fred queried.

"Because I love George!" I replied, grinning. Fred made a snorting sound and I was just about to make a face at him when I heard voices getting nearer. I turned to George.

"Quick, go see who's talking that loud."

He went over to the window and leaned out, talking back to us.

"It's your dad and another lady with nice clothes walking down the train looking in windows, and they're calling your name."

I swore in French.

"I'm not here, alright?" I told them both, crawling down under the seat and flicking into wolf form before curling up and making myself as small as I could. Fred was staring at me in amazement. I showed my teeth and he and George quickly made loud – and _very _fake – conversation. I froze when I heard my dad.

"Oh, Fred, George, there you are. Have you seen Alyss? We need to talk to her."

"No, I haven't. Have you, Fred?"

"No, not me."

"We haven't seen her at _all_."

"No, not since the holidays."

"Yeah, maybe she's not here," George said. I nipped him on the ankle for that, and to his credit he managed to turn the yell of pain into a coughing fit.

"Well, thanks boys." My dad said, before moving out of sight and earshot. I struggled to my feet and switched back into my human self before settling myself down on the seat. By this time, both boys were watching open mouthed.

"What?" I asked with some considerable amusement.

"Well …… you ……"

"You just ……"

"Come on guys, spit it out! Can't you do better than that?"

"You just turned into a wolf!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I said, turning to Fred, "Yes, I did turn into a wolf. Got a problem?"

"But …… are you an animagus?"

"No."

"Then how ……?"

"My dad's a werewolf, as I'm sure you know, so looks like I've inherited his better traits. I've also got my mother's incredibly short temper, so don't try me."

"We won't." They said this last bit in chorus, but I was now beginning to get a bit upset over the way my parents had treated me. It was so unfair.

"What's wrong with you?" Fred asked, coming to sit next to me. I tried to stop crying but before I knew it both boys were offering me handkerchiefs and giving me hugs. When I finally calmed down a bit George spoke.

"Right, you tell us who was nasty and we'll go kill 'em." He said this in a very matter of fact tone and I giggled.

"Unless you fancy taking on my mum and dad I would stay put." I told him, finally registering that the train was moving and that I was okay to relax.

"What did they do?" Fred queried earnestly.

"Well, basically, my mother dumped me and my dad when I was four, right, and then decides to show up _today_, seven years later, thinking she can just claim me! I knew I should have gone to Beauxbatons! Anyway, she then starts telling me how much I look like her – how can she tell, she's so much older than me! Anyway, then they both start trying to make me pick between them! That's so _totally _unfair. Who am I meant to pick, the father who took care of me my whole life, or the mother who I might get the chance to get to know? What the _fuck_ are they thinking?"

Just as I said that a prefect popped her head around the door.

"I suggest you are not heard swearing again, do I make myself clear?" She said. I put on my polite face and said a couple of very rude things in Greek. She smiled and nodded, and I waited until she was out of earshot before bursting into laughter.

"What?" Both the twins asked.

"I told her she has a face like the wrong end of a horse and that she should make sure she done the buttons of her shirt up the right way before going out in public."

They both started laughing. I was just calming down a little when I started laughing again. In all the goings-on earlier, I had failed to notice that the twins had obviously had haircuts. I was having the time of my life making fun of them when another kid poked his head round our door.

"Hey!" He said. He had _such _cool hair – all dreadlocks and everything. I grinned at him.

"Hi. I'm Alyss. This is Fred and George. Who're you?"

"Lee. Lee Jordan." He said, taking a seat. "I'm in first year. Are you guys too?"

"No, we're in first year as well." Fred replied before snorting with laughter. _Boys_, I thought, shaking my head. To my dismay, Lee was laughing as well.

"That was funny." He said. I gave him one of my _you-odd-little-person _looks.

"No, it wasn't." I informed him, but this only made the twins chuckle more.

I was informing them all in French exactly what I thought of them when a kindly-looking old witch came to our door pushing her trolley.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" She asked with a smile. I pulled out the handful of coins my dad had given me and bought ten of everything. She looked slightly dismayed but helped me pile the lot on the seat anyway. Then she left and we fell on the food with yells of delight.

I was in the middle of shoving a chocolate frog into my mouth whole when a heavy-set, mean looking boy arrived at our compartment, flanked by three or four stupid-looking prats. Fred, George and Lee all tensed immediately.

"Ferax Lestrange." He said, holding out a hand. I ignored it, and remarked something in an undertone.

"What did you say?" The boy asked with a scowl. One of the guys on his right cracked his knuckles.

"I said 'Je suis desolé mais les gens ni laid ni stupide sont permis dans ici, donc vous les gars devront la feuille.'"

He looked pretty confused, so I smiled sweetly and nodded towards the door. He left with a backward glance. I evilled him as he looked in my direction.

Fred grinned massively. "What did you tell him this time?"

"I told him that I was sorry but neither ugly nor stupid people were allowed in here, so they would have to leave. I love being able to speak a different language or two, don't you?"

All three boys were laughing, so I pulled my book out from my rucksack and started to read it.

When I surfaced again they were all changed into their robes. When I read I get totally lost. I've been sat in the car for an hour after we arrived at our destination just reading, without noticing the lack of motion.

I shoved the book back in my bag.

"How long do we have?" I asked, glancing out of the window to register an evening sky.

"A couple of hours." Lee replied, pulling out a pack of muggle playing cards. He sat down on the opposite seat with Fred and George to play.

"Uh uh, you guys have to turn round while I get changed." I told them. With annoyed sighs they all turned around to face the wall. I changed quickly, pulling on my black tights, grey skirt, grey jumper, and white shirt. I left the top button undone, as I didn't have my house tie yet. I pulled on the heavy black robes before informing the boys that they could turn around. They immediately set up their card game.

"Right, it's a two-player game. I'll go first against Fred, alright?" Lee said, grinning at the twins. George sighed.

"Fine, I'll play chess with Alyss."

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

It was almost pitch black outside by the time we eventually arrived at the castle. I had annihilated George and Fred and Lee at chess, but been sorely beaten at Lee's card game. As I had remarked with annoyance, if it was poker I would win hands down.

We scrambled off the train, me tripping over someone's foot and almost falling face-down on the platform. It was only Lee grabbing the back of my robe that saved me. I grinned at him before jumping down properly.

A huge man was waiting to one side, carrying a lamp, calling all first years. We went over, and Fred and George greeting the giant.

"Ah, Fred, George, how's yer parents?"

"Fine thanks, Hagrid." They replied in unison. I shook my head. Hagrid then took us all to a small jetty. Fred, George, Lee and I appropriated one rowing boat. We waited until everyone else had found somewhere to sit and then the whole flotilla started slowly moving forwards. I smiled in delight at the lake and dipped my hand in the water. I yanked it back out immediately. It was _cold._

Lee laughed at me so I dipped my hand back in the water and splashed him. He grimaced and was about to splash me right back when the castle came into view. I sat there, any coherent thought lost. It was amazing. All nooks and crannies and dark windows and …… oh, the roof looked AWESOME! As though he could read my thoughts, Fred leant over.

"If I catch you climbing on that roof, Alyss Lupin, I'll kill you. Do you understand."

I ignored him, gazing up at the castle in delight. I had finally found the place I belonged. There was no way Beauxbatons would ever be graced with my presence.


	5. Staircase Issues

The bottom of the boats bumping into the jetty on the other side of the lake made us all return abruptly to ourselves

"**Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.****" - anon**

The bottom of the boats bumping into the jetty on the other side of the lake made us all return abruptly to ourselves. I turned to Fred and grinned. He grinned back, and we all jumped out of the boat onto the pier. Hagrid told us to follow, and we all trooped up to the massive front doors of the castle. Hagrid knocked a couple of times, and the door was eventually opened by a tall, imposing figure. She was wearing a tall black hat, heavy black robes, and her face was sharp and lined.

"I am Professor McGonagall, deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House. Welcome to Hogwarts."

Without another word, she led us inside. I turned and waved to Hagrid as we went in – I remembered my dad telling me about him, and was just trying to work out when that had been when Professor McGonagall halted us again, this time in a small room, empty of anything but several portraits. One had an elderly witch in it, who waved at us all and wished us luck with the Sorting.

I had the shock of my life when a ghost drifted through the wall and right through me. I shuddered – it felt like being doused in ice-cold water. Fred grinned at me, and I noticed that the level of chatter was increasing.

"Hell, I hope I get Gryffindor," George said, glancing around the room. Lee nodded in agreement and I shrugged.

"I don't really care, so long as it's not Slytherin," I replied, grimacing at the thought. Abruptly, McGonagall returned again and instructed us to follow her. I felt a heavy foot try to trip me up, but I grabbed on to Lee and righted myself, content with shooting that odd Lestrange kid an evil glare. Then, suddenly, we arrived in the Great Hall. It was pretty nerve-racking being faced by 600-odd kids, not to mention the teachers seated at the High-Table behind us. I gulped as McGonagall arranged us into a long line. Hell, it was even more exposed like that.

Suddenly, the mouldy old hat sitting on the stool began to sing! I was so amazed I didn't pay heed to the content of the song. It finished, and I clutched at the locket I was wearing under my robes to give me courage. Then McGonagall pulled out a long piece of parchment and began to call out names. A plump, blonde girl was first.

"Attree, Ellen."

She swallowed and went pale, walking forward reluctantly to have the hat placed on her head. We waited for a second, then the Hat shouted loudly,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the middle left erupted into cheers. The girl had a look of immense relief on her face. Next was,

"Bitar, Daniel."

This guy was dark haired, and went forward with a slight swagger. The hat went on his head and I suppressed a giggle as it slipped over his eyes. Again, a short pause, before,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

This time the table on the middle right starting yelling and screaming. The boy had the hat pulled off his head and almost ran to sit down, grinning broadly. The process went on for longer, the line dwindling. A girl called Lisa Chalmers became the first Ravenclaw, and Marcus Dakin the first Slytherin. I almost shuddered as the table against the left wall cheered.

Then McGonagall called out,

"Johnston, Tom," and the guy next to me breathed in deeply and stumbled forward. He was sorted into Ravenclaw, and then, suddenly,

"Lupin, Alyss."

My world revolved once. In his seat at the teacher's table behind me, Dumbledore leant forward slightly. I took a deep breath and walked forward calmly, trying to convince my brain not to tell my legs to turn and run. I pulled myself up onto the stool – my legs dangled several inches off the floor – and the hat was placed over my eyes. I found myself staring at thick blackness.

_Hmm, _said a small voice in my ear, _I recognise this blood! You are a Lupin. Well, I have no qualms about putting you in _"GRYFFINDOR!" The last word was shouted, and once again the Gryffindor table broke out into yells of delight. Dumbledore sat back in his chair, an odd expression on his face. I handed the hat back, jumped off the stool, and made my way down to the Gryffindor table. There was no space left next to Lee, but Charlie Weasley budged everyone up and made space for me. I smiled happily and he gave me a quick hug. The sorting continued above us as Charlie introduced me to various members of the house in an undertone.

"This is Finella, she's seventh year, John in sixth – he's on the team, Hannah, Jake, Amber, Holly ……"

The list went on, and I deadpanned. I knew I would never be able to remember all those names. So, I turned away. Charlie was chatting to his friends now, so he didn't notice. There were by now three boys and four other girls in my year.

"Hi. I'm Alyss," I said, effectively breaking the ice. Lee smirked.

"Lee," he said. The pretty blonde girl next to him smiled as well.

"Isobel," she informed us.

"Michael," the brown haired boy on her other side said, grinning at us all.

The girl next to me was about to introduce herself when I lost all interest and turned to the main table. It was Fred's turn. It took all of about five seconds for the hat to be placed on his head, yell "GRYFFINDOR!" and for it to be taken right back off again. I laughed and joined in the applause. Fred came down to the table and made everyone budge down so he could sit between me and Charlie. The exact same thing happened with George, and McGonagall raised her eyebrows. Then, it was the turn of, "Zemar, Polly," who was placed in Hufflepuff, before Dumbledore stood up.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts, and welcome for the first time to our new students. I am bound to remind you, or inform you, that the forest in the grounds is strictly out of bounds, and a list of all illegal items can be found pinned to Mr Filch's door." Here Dumbledore indicated a sour-looking old man standing to one side. "Now that that's over with, let's have some food!"

The last four words seemed to have been a cue, because the tables were suddenly groaning under the weight of a _lot_ of food. I didn't wait to be invited, piling my plate with everything I could reach. I grimaced at the thought of the pumpkin juice, and filled my goblet with water instead. I chattered away to Fred and George and Lee and Charlie, deciding to get to know the other kids later.

I was just thinking how nice bed would be after managing to fit in three puddings, when Dumbledore stood up and finally ordered everyone to bed. I swear, that man is a god! We all scrambled to our feet, and then a prefect from fifth year led all of us first-year Gryffindors out of the Hall. I gazed from side to side in rapturous wonder, ignoring everyone around me, until George pulled my plait. I cursed at him in an undertone but he just gave me an innocent look.

We reached a large portrait of a fat lady wearing a pink dress. The prefect gave the password, calling back to remember it. To my delight, it was 'bucket'! That was going to be an easy one to remember. We all scrambled through the hole and into the common room. I spared it a glance; it was large and nicely decorated with red and gold. I took due note of the comfiest chairs by the fireplace, before being sent up some stairs by the prefect. I waved a hearty goodbye to Fred and George, clambering up the narrow spiral stairs behind the other girls.

We arrived in our room. It was gorgeous! It was circular, with six beds against the walls. I grabbed the one nearest the window. Nobody seemed to object. My trunks all appeared at the foot of it, and I pulled out some pyjamas, getting into them like everybody else, before surveying the room. There was a heater in the middle with a rail around it for drying or heating clothes. There was also a large dresser with a huge mirror. The surface was split into six sections. I took the last one left, to the left of the middle, placing my hairbrush, hairpins, face wash and other things next to it. We all took out any skirts, dresses, and school shirts and robes and hung them in the large wardrobe, which had different coloured coat-hangers so we could remember which one was ours.

Then we all sat in a circle on our pillows on the floor. I grinned at the blonde girl I recognised, Isobel. She smiled back. Then another girl said,

"Hi. My Chinese name is Zho-Mei, but please call me Zoe – that's my English one! All my teachers at primary school used to call me Zho-Mei. Argh! I'm a muggle-born." She was of Chinese heritage, with long dark hair and pretty almond-shaped black eyes.

"I'm Isobel. I'm half and half – my dad's a wizard and my mum's a muggle. She was kind of depressed when she found out I'd be coming here!"

"My name's Angelina, I'm half too, because both my parent's are." This latest speaker had jet black, poker straight hair that fell to halfway down her back. Her eyes were an ice blue, but they warmed up as she smiled at us all.

"I'm Alicia. I'm muggle-born too. We moved here, to England, when I was one." Alicia had a very dark complexion, with large, expressive brown eyes. I grinned at her.

"I'm Alyss. I reckon I'm, like, three-quarters, you know? My mum was pure but my dad's half." I said, entering the rather stilted conversation. Isobel turned to me.

"Was? You mean your mum's dead?"

"No, not dead, just gone. She left 'cause apparently I'm too similar to my dad. Although she turned up at the station earlier and tried to reclaim me. Bitch." I finished with a heartfelt sigh, and Isobel gave me a hug. I smiled and sheepishly wiped my eyes. Then we all turned to the last girl. She was sitting all drawn up and tense. Angelina smiled warmly at her.

"Hi. Who're you?" she asked, still smiling.

"Keira," she replied, face blank, giving nothing away.

"Where do you come from?" Zoe asked. There was no reply. So instead Isobel spoke.

"I'm from Liverpool, but I went to a boarding school aged eight, so I haven't got that accent anymore. It got beaten out of me."

We all nodded in comprehension.

"I'm from Bristol. Any of you guys ever been there?" Isobel inquired brightly. I shook my head but Alicia nodded.

"Sure, I got family there. I'm from London, though," she said, and Isobel's eyes lit up.

"You've been to Bristol? Isn't it just the most awesome city?" she crowed, grinning so broadly her smile almost reached her ears. We all laughed in delight at her tone and expression. Then she turned to me.

"So, Alyss, where're you from? Your accent's kind of weird."

"Isobel!" Zoe exclaimed.

"What?" Isobel enquired.

"You don't say that to people!"

"Why not?"

"'Cause it's rude, that's why!"

"I don't mind, it is weird," I butted in, shaking my head in humour at them both. "I'm English but we moved to Greece when I was three. Then my mum left and it was just me and my dad there until …… until he got a new job and we moved to Paris for a few years. Then I found out I was coming here so we moved to Cornwall, to a village which has the same name as the place we lived in when we lived in Greece!"

"That's cool. Does that mean you can speak, like, a totally different language?" Angelina enquired. I shook my head and she looked disappointed. Then,

"Actually, I speak two."

"Whoa!" she cried, jumping to her feet in delight. "Can you teach me one?"

"I can try," I replied, but then Zoe yawned massively. She set Isobel off who set me off who set Alicia off. Keira did nothing.

"Alright, I think bedtime now?" Isobel asked, looking at us all. We all nodded and clambered into our respective four-posters.

"Good night!" I said happily, and received mumblings from the rest of the room. I drew the hangings shut and settled down, before pushing the covers back, squirming to the end of my bed and opening my trunk from behind – more difficult than it looks – grabbing my rucksack and closing my trunk and hangings before retreating back to the right end of my bed.

I pulled out my wand, book, and iPod before throwing the bag on the floor. I murmured "Lumos," lighting the tip of my wand up (a useful trick I learnt off my dad) and putting my iPod earphones in, selecting a song and playing it before setting my wand down, still lit, and opening my book.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

When I finally shut the book all my room-mates were fast asleep. I could hear their mumblings. I put the book on my bedside table and whispered "nox," putting out the light of my wand, and settling down to sleep. But, as usual, that blessed oblivion ignored me, allowing other people blissful slumber and leaving me wide awake and getting myself more and more psyched up by the minute. Giving up, I grabbed my pony and dressing gown and slipped out of bed, pushing my feet into my slippers. I made my way down to the common room. I checked the time on my way out – five to midnight. I reached the common room, and the only people in there were Charlie Weasley and that other girl from dinner. I wracked my brains and eventually came up with a name that matched the face. Holly. I think.

Charlie whipped around when he heard my footsteps. He ran a distracted hand through his hair. He turned back to Holly.

"Hols, can we talk about this tomorrow?" he asked her. She turned away.

"Fine. But Charlie, I want you there when I have to drink the potion."

"Holly, it's not like actually you're going to have the - "

"I'm already in three months, Charlie. We're going on Sunday."

"I said, I'll talk to you about it tomorrow, okay? It's the first night back, Hols. I can't deal with this now. It's late."

"Okay. I'll see you in the morning," she said, reaching up and pecking him on the cheek. Charlie watched her run up the stairs to her dormitory, a worried expression on his face. I shifted my position slightly and he turned back around.

"Alright, what's up with you then, missy?" he asked, walking over to me and picking me up, carrying me over to the sofa and setting me down. I squiggled until I got comfy.

"I can't sleep. I'm scared."

"Of what?" he enquired.

"I don't know. I just am, and it won't let me sleep! Can I get in with you?" I asked with excitement. Charlie laughed and shushed me. I grinned, having succeeded in cheering him up slightly.

"Have you tried counting sheep?"

"How about sheep, cows, horses, pigs, chickens, and unicorns? I got bored."

"You, young lady, have an incredibly low boredom threshold."

"Tell me about it," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Tell you what, why don't you run upstairs and find Fred or George? They'll let you get in with them."

"I don't know which bed they're in, I wasn't allowed to find out. I might just wake up some randomer by mistake!"

"Well then," Charlie said, the tired expression returning. I recognised that look.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, an innocent expression plastered all over my face.

"You're too young to understand," he replied, putting his face in his hands. I kneeled up and put my hands on his shoulders where he was sitting next to me.

"Well, if I tell you what I _think_ has happened, and you tell me what's _really _happened, then I'll give you advice and we can both go to bed!"

"You're eleven years old, kid. How could you possibly help me?"

"Is that girl going to have a baby?"

"Wha – how did you know that?"

"Well, a) you just told me, and b) my cousin Bella has had to take 'that potion' three times already. I went with her last time. She told my dad she was taking me shopping."

"Right. You know things no normal eleven year old girl should know."

"Let's look at it like this," I told him, putting my hands on my hips, "if you let me come to your room and sleep in with you, then I won't tell Fred and George tomorrow about Holly and so save you years of mockery."

"Are you blackmailing me?" He asked incredulously. I adopted a lopsided smile.

"I do believe I am!"

"Then fine, it worked. Come on, upstairs with you," he said, ushering me down some stairs into the seventh-year boys' dormitories. All Charlie's friends were asleep, so he tucked me quietly into bed, closed the hangings, and then reappeared several minutes later in his pyjamas. He got into bed next to me, and I cuddled in close.

"Night," I said sleepily, one arm around my pony and the other tucked under my head. Charlie sighed and planted a kiss on the top of my head.

"Go to sleep."

I smiled and closed my eyes, finally getting to sleep.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

Charlie woke me at about six o'clock the next morning. Sunlight was streaming through the window through the gap in the hangings. I murmured sleepily as I came to, and Charlie shushed me.

"Shh, now, you go back to your room and get back into your bed, alright? You need to be in the Great Hall for breakfast at about eight, okay?"

I nodded sleepily, still a little out of it, and Charlie ushered me out of the bed and up the stairs. I dragged my pony along by its leg and made my way back up the stairs to our room, climbing clumsily into bed and pulling the covers around me, leaving the hangings open, and then I fell straight back to sleep.

I woke up about twenty minutes later, properly awake this time. I sat up in bed and looked around the room. Keira was awake, and sitting up in her bed like me.

"Hi!" I whispered across the room, giving her a massive grin and a thumbs-up. She didn't reply. I sighed and got out of bed, leaving my pony there. She shifted warily but I climbed onto the end of her bed anyway.

"You're Keira, right? I'm Alyss. Where do you come from?"

She just nodded when I mentioned her name, but was silent. I tried again.

"Isn't this just the most amazing place?"

"Yes."

Oh ho, she speaks! I grinned massively at her and she tentatively smiled back.

"So, where do you come from?"

"Ireland," she replied quietly.

"Ack, I've never been there, but I've always wanted to go. Is it beautiful?"

"Very."

"I'm jealous."

"Don't be. You live in Cornwall, right?"

Oh my Lord! She actually strung a sentence together. We both looked slightly shocked for a second but then I carried on.

"Yeah, I live in this little village called Valparaiso. Well, actually, we live just a bit outside it, on a cliff overlooking the bay. This guy in the village said that dolphins swim in there sometimes. I can't wait for the summer, maybe I'll meet some!"

"That would be cool – I have always wanted to swim with dolphins."

"Come stay with me," I said immediately, grinning at her. She smiled back, a proper, broad smile.

"Well, shall we go wake the boys up so we can get to know them?" I asked her, but she shook her head.

"I'm bad around people I don't know."

"Okay, we don't have to get up for another hour or so, so you can have some peace and quiet now!"

I bounded off the bed, shrugged on my dressing gown and ignored my slippers, running down the stairs and into the common room. There was no-one up yet, so I headed straight for the stairs the boys had gone up the night before. I bounded into the dormitory with a great cry of

"GOOD MORNING, BOYS!"

And then as various heads appeared, rubbing their eyes, I went and jumped on Fred, who had failed to wake up.

"C'mon, silly, wake up!"

Some of the other boys had got out of bed.

"Do we need to get ready now?" One asked. I shook my head cheerfully from where I was sitting on Fred.

"I just wanted to get to know you all! Us girls had a good chat last night, so now it's your turn!"

"Oh my God, it's six am! I'm going back to bed."

"Yeah, because I'm totally going to let you do that."

"Fine, we'll chase you back to your dorm, lock you in there and _then _come back to bed," said Fred, throwing me off him and pushing back the covers. I squealed and ran down the steps. All five boys chased after me. I reached the common room, pelting across it and starting up the steps. I had almost reached the top when, suddenly, the stairs flattened. I gave a startled "oh!" and slid backwards down the now flat staircase. I landed on top of the boys, who were all in a pile on the floor.

I was grinning in delight as we all struggled to get up, but then we were all knocked down again by Isobel and Zoe. They collapsed on us, giggling like crazy. I joined in.

"We just heard you running, and then we heard Alyss, so we ran out of the room and just came sliding right down here! That's really funny."

"How come our stairs don't do that?" Michael asked with a little jealousy.

"Because boys are not as trust-thingy." Zoe replied, desperately trying to contain her laughter.

"Worthy?" Lee suggested, and Zoe smirked and nodded. We all pushed ourselves up and sat on the sofas in the corner of the room.

"Hang on," I said, running back up the stairs to our room, which had switched themselves back to normal. I burst into the room and poked Alicia and Angelina awake, and grabbed a rather startled Keira by the arm.

"C'mon guys, all the boys are downstairs and we're all having a little bit of a getting-to-know-each-other session!"

Alicia and Angelina merely shook their heads, rolled over and went back to sleep. I shrugged and pulled Keira down the stairs. When we got down everyone was chatting like crazy, so I dragged Keira into the middle of the circle of sofas.

"This is Keira, everyone. She lives in Ireland. And I'm Alyss, but of course, you know that."

"I didn't," said an unfamiliar boy. Actually, now I think about it, he was the one that I had landed on when we slid. "I'm Ben."

"Cool," I replied, and joined in the conversation, stubbornly and repeatedly forcing Keira to make a contribution.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

We all returned to our dormitories to get dressed. It took us girls a little while to get up the stairs, due to Fred and George thinking it would be funny to flatten them again. We tried running, climbing, walking _really _slowly, jumping, everything. In the end, we just had to sit down and wait for the stairs to reorganise ourselves. Some of the sixth-year girls came down from their dormitory as we were discussing the best ways to get back at the twins. The girls grinned in sympathy.

"Your stairs go flat?"

"We are going to kill those Weasley twins!" Isobel exclaimed with fervour. We all nodded vigorously. One of the other girls smiled and waved her wand, saying "Femnisto," and we watched in delight as our stairs went stair-like again. As the girls walked out, a different one turned.

"Oh, and by the way, if you want to do the same to them, the charm's _glisseo_. Have fun!" Then they all left. I glanced around for help.

"I can't do charms to save my life. Anyone want a go?"

Isobel grinned. "My dad taught me a little charms, I'm alright at them. I'll try." She ran back up our stairs and reappeared a minute later clutching her wand. Zoe forestalled her movement.

"I say we wait until we hear them on the stairs, then cast it and run."

We all nodded our agreement. After a short wait in which several other members of the house started to drift past in search of fast, we heard footsteps on their staircase. I raised my hand.

_One,_ I mouthed, putting down a finger.

_Two, _second finger.

_Three, _last finger.

"GLISSEO!" Isobel yelled, pointing her wand at the entrance to the boy's stairs before we all fled up our stairs. We collapsed laughing as we heard the boys all appear, yet again, in a massive heap. Everyone in the room at the time was laughing too.

When we reached our room, Alicia and Angelina were sitting at the dresser, brushing their hair and tying it back, already dressed. The rest of us hurriedly scrambled into our robes and uniform, putting on the red and gold ties that had appeared on top of our trunks overnight with pride. Then we sat next to Alicia and Angelina. I quickly French-plaited my hair. It actually took quite a while, and I was struggling to reach the end of my hair when Keira came over.

"Here, let me," she said, finishing off the plait and securing it neatly. Then we all opened our door, and, aware that if we made a noise the boys would flatten our staircases in a second. We all crept down. We reached the bottom without mishap, and the boys exploded with yells of disgust that we'd duped then. We all just grinned sweetly and climbed out of the portrait-hole, starting our search for breakfast.


	6. Snape, Snape, Severus Snape

"And So the lion fell in love with the lamb

"**Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass … it's about learning to dance in the rain." – unknown.**

All eleven of us stared, rather awe-struck, at the mass of staircases in front of us. The dark haired boy, Daniel, rather summed up the moment when he remarked "wow" in an undertone. That seemed to break the spell, because we all started shifting and muttering, none of us with the guts to try and lead the others anywhere. Then, to our relief, several fifth-years climbed out of the hole behind us and set off down the stairs to our right. With a collective sigh of relief, we followed them down several flights of staircases, through a couple of corridors, into the entrance hall, and eventually into the Great Hall.

There were hundreds of students coming and going, and we all hurried up to the Gryffindor table to grab a seat. Fred and George immediately started to pile their plates high with bacon, eggs, sausages, and similar things. I made a face, and George paused.

"I thought you loved this stuff?" he said, grinning at me as he loaded beans onto his plate. I shook my head.

"Only for brunch. It's too early for that right now. Imagine trying to concentrate on lessons with that weighing you down!"

"Well, what are you going to eat then?" George asked with a slightly puzzled expression on his face.

I mumbled something that even I couldn't understand and picked up a bowl. I reached for a ladle, filling the bowl halfway with greek yoghurt, then I trailed honey over the top, added small cereal clusters and some red berries, more honey, and then I dug my spoon in with relish. Fred sighed.

"You are odd, Lupin."

"Right back at you, Weasley."

We smirked at each other for a minute before returning to our respective breakfasts.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

To my delight, we had only two subjects with the Slytherins: Transfiguration and Charms. Keira and I were examining our timetables as we made our down a corridor.

"Look, we've got Potions with Hufflepuff. That's good, I heard the Potions master hates us both," Keira remarked with satisfaction. We were making our way down the stairs that we were sure would lead us to our Transfiguration classroom when we heard low laughter and whispering. I poked my head around the next corner to find Fred and George with their heads together, staring at the group of Slytherins near the door to our classroom, which were gazing with avid interest at a tabby cat sitting in the door of the classroom. I held out an arm to Keira, stopping her. Fred and George glanced at each other briefly, and pulled their wands out. I dropped my schoolbag and pulled mine out too. Keira did the same, but Fred caught my eye and shook his head minutely. We stowed our wands back in our robes, and were about to step round the corner when George winked at us. I immediately drew back and put a hand over my nose. Keira looked at me quizzically, but I just motioned to her to do the same, and just in time.

She clamped a hand over her nose as Fred and George came pelting back round the corner. I risked a peek, and saw all the Slytherins making faces of disgust and pinching their noses as a foul-looking yellow-green smoke rose from their midst. Cries of horror reached our ears, but we were laughing too hard to care. The other Gryffindors came up to us and also began to chuckle. But then, a tall figure in black appeared at the door to the classroom. Fred and George went white.

I snickered as Professor McGonagall bore down on our group.

"Which of you is responsible for …… _this_?" she enquired with a look of fury. I hid my face.

"Miss Lupin, would you care to tell me?"

I desperately tried to quell my laughter, but the tears just wouldn't stay in. I raised my face.

"P-Please, Professor, it wasn't us … we didn't see who did it, b-but I think I saw s-someone in a cloak go t-that way …" I let my voice trail off, giving a realistic sob as more tears fell down my face. Next to me, Fred gave a low cough. I sneaked a look from under my eyelashes and saw he was struggling to control his laughter. I looked back down and sobbed again. McGonagall looked slightly worried.

"Now, look, dear, I wasn't accusing you. Which way did they go?"

I sniffed and pointed to the other end of the corridor. McGonagall turned to look and I trod heavily on Fred's foot. He squeaked quietly, and McGonagall turned back to face us.

"Right then, I'll get Filch onto it. Inside you go, dears." She ushered us into her classroom, then disappeared out of the door. I gave it a minute, then immediately gave in to my laughter.

"That was brilliant, Alyss! How do you do that?"

"Years of practice."

All around me, the Gryffindors were laughing and chatting to each other. The Slytherins were sitting on the other side of the room, scowling at us all. We ignored them completely, and carried on talking until McGonagall swept back into the room, bringing complete silence with her. I hurriedly grabbed a seat in between Keira and George. McGonagall surveyed the whole room.

"Welcome to Transfiguration. For those of you that don't remember me from last night, I am Professor McGonagall. Now, Transfiguration is a tricky subject, and you will all ……"

I put on my best listening face and tuned out. I started drawing at random on my piece of parchment, inking in a pattern of spirals around the edge. Then, suddenly, McGonagall turned her desk into a cow and back again. The whole class gave a collective gasp. She smiled and began to dictate notes. We all faithfully copied them down, and then she handed a load of matches around.

"Right, I want you to turn these into needles."

We all glanced at each other, and then the room was filled with sounds of the spell being said, and the swish of wands. I grinned and poked at mine. It turned silver, and I was slightly disappointed by its lack of point. I jabbed at it in an attempt to create a point, but nothing happened. I sighed. Professor McGonagall was walking around the classroom, and George glared at me.

"How did you do it?"

"Here," I muttered, doing the spell on his. To my dismay, it turned silver and pointy, complete with eye. I scowled, and tried the same with mine. George smirked at me as I failed, yet again, to achieve a point. I muttered something rude and turned his back into a match again.

"Miss Lupin?" McGonagall had come up behind me without me realizing.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Can you do that for me again?"

"Do what?"

"Transfigure the match."

"Oh, that. Sure, I can try."

Nothing happened. I grimaced. Typical. The one subject I can actually do, and I mess up in front of the teacher. Yay me.

"Don't worry, dear."

The rest of the class was still trying, and a couple of people had also turned their matches silver. I leant back in my chair, swinging on the two back legs, and toying idly with my hair. Next to me, Keira was concentrating fiercely. She jabbed her wand at the match, and it switched to a needle. I let my chair fall back on four legs with a _thunk_, and gazed at the needle, trying to work out what she'd done that I couldn't. I gave a shrug, though, because I couldn't be bothered to think quite that hard, and swung back again. I held onto the edge of the desk with one hand, and with the other fiddled with the end of my hair.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

Potions was next, and it was a complete joke. We were all seated rather uncomfortably on the hard benches, chatting cheerfully among ourselves, when the heavy door crashed open suddenly. Everyone jumped, and our eyes followed the man in the long black cloak who swept into the room and up the side of the class, eventually stopping at the front and whirling to face us. Everyone went silent, utterly and completely. The man's eyes worked over each upturned face, finally coming to rest on mine where I was sitting at the back next to George and Isobel.

I felt a tremor run through my body as I suppressed the growl that wanted to escape from deep in my stomach. His eyes were pure black, and they held a deep hatred for me that I understood and returned fully. He put his head to one side and I closed my eyes so that I could concentrate on keeping my human form and not switching to a wolf in front of everyone. George nudged me and a faint snarl escaped my lips that was only too audible in the silent room. My eyes flew open, and I noticed people staring at me in astonishment. It had been too realistic, I knew. I glanced up and saw the teacher – Severus Snape, my dad had told me once, pointing to the man in the picture and not bothering to disguise the loathing in his voice – smirking at me. I took a deep breath and smiled politely at him.

His face registered surprise, and I knew the best way to react now was to be as sweet as possible. So I forced myself to keep perfectly still, as I would if I was out in wolf-form trying not to be noticed. Finally, Snape's eyes moved away from my face onto George, then Fred, and then the rest of the row. I sighed slightly and was now able to see what was going on around me. George was looking at me, expression slightly puzzled. I pulled out a scrap of parchment and scribbled on it quickly before passing it to him.

_I guess a wolf would not be the best course of action right now, huh?_

He grinned a little and wrote something else before handing it back to me.

_Probably not, no. You are such a freak!_

I scrunched the piece of parchment up into a ball and flicked his ear before turning to try to pay attention to Snape's monologue at the front. There didn't seem to be any break in his stupid, boring voice, until he pulled out the register.

"Attree?"

"Yes, sir."

"Bitar?"

"Yes, sir."

He continued down the list in this fashion for several minutes, until he reached my name. I cringed mentally as he called out the name of the guy before me. Then,

"Ah, little miss Lupin. Tell me, _dear_, how's your father?"

"Well, thank you, sir."

"And how about your Uncle?"

I forced down another growl. That was below the belt. But I smiled anyway.

"I have to say I'm not sure, sir. Probably a little downcast right now."

Snape raised incredulous eyebrows at me as the whispering began to ripple out.

"You had better not be mocking me, young lady." He spoke with a frown, eying the rest of the class as they turned to survey me with looks of doubt.

"I'm not, I promise, sir. I only meant to say that a general atmosphere of depression begins to get to you eventually, no matter how … cheerful and innocent … you are inside."

"You are being difficult, child."

"No, professor, I'm telling the truth. It's what my father always taught me to do."

"And does your _wonderful _father know what you believe, or is he completely moonstruck too?"

I think he was trying to get a reaction out of me, and I was struggling with not standing up and leaving the classroom right now. I could feel the shaking that preceded transformation running up and down my body, and I focused all my attention on staying in control. This was nuts! I had never been so angry, so I didn't realise how difficult it would be to stay human. George could see my problem, so he rested a hand on my arm. His touch calmed me slightly, and the shaking decreased in intensity.

"No, sir, I think everyone disagrees with me, apart from maybe my uncle himself."

Snape glared at me for a long minute before seeming to grow bored. Then he continued down the register. I took several slow, deep breaths, holding down the growls. There were a lot of people still staring at me, and I pulled a puzzled expression together on my face as they regarded me. Daniel, in the row in front, mouthed at me:

_Who's your uncle?_

_Doesn't matter, he's in Azkaban anyway, no matter what the truth is. _I mouthed back, and he turned to the person next to him and started whispering. This time a full scale growl escaped through my teeth. I turn a furious red colour as yet more people turned to stare. Snape immediately allowed his head to whip back to me.

"Detention, Miss Lupin, for making stupid noises. I think tomorrow night."

I just nodded, still concentrating on not doing anything else rash. Isobel put one of her hands over mine, and I grinned ruefully at her, still blushing. George put his head next to mine.

"Don't worry about it, silly, no-one realises what you are. Just try not to do anything else stupid this lesson, alright?"

"Ah, Mr Weasley, you can join Miss Lupin in detention," Snape said with a smile. Next to George, Fred spoke up.

"That's not fair, sir, there are loads of people talking and you're not - "

"Excellent, another one for detention. Is anybody else interested?"

The room was deathly silent, and I was shaking again.

"Please open your textbooks on page 2. Today we will be studying ……"

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

At the end of the double lesson, I swept everything off my desk hurriedly into my bag and hurried out of the classroom. I was first out, and I leant my head against the cold stone wall, trying to calm down. It was like Snape _knew _what I could do, and was trying to force me to do it in front of everyone I knew. I could hear other people coming out of the room, and I tried to walk on, but everyone surrounded me. There were voices coming from all sides, and everyone was pressing in close, invading my personal space.

"Who's your uncle?"

"Why's he in prison?"

"Is he really innocent?"

"Why does no-one believe you?"

"Is he someone famous?"

"Are you like him at all?"

"Do you think he'll die in there?"

"When will he come out?"

"Why won't you tell us who he is?"

"Yeah, it can't be that bad."

Everyone was too close now, pressing in on me, and I knew that unless they all moved back sharpish, they would be at the mercy of my teeth. I took a deep breath, and my vicious snarl rose over the babble of voices. Everyone fell silent, and I pushed past them, too angry to speak.

I had gained the empty area of the corridor, ignoring the crowd behind me. I was still shaking. I figured all my friends had remained behind to talk about me with everyone else, but suddenly I felt arms encircle my waist and chest, and hands clasp mine. I fought back tears as Isobel and Keira and Zoe hugged me tightly while Fred, George, Lee and Ben all patted me a little awkwardly. I leant my head against Keira's and she regarded me solemnly.

"It's okay, Alyss, seriously."

"Yeah, we don't care who your uncle is, really," Zoe said with a grin, adding, "but if you want to tell us, that would be cool too."

Ben hit her.

"Ow!"

"Shut up, you moron."

"Git," Zoe replied, smirking at him as she rubbed her arm.

I couldn't help but smile at them, and everyone responded with huge grins.

"Seriously, it's all good," Isobel said, squeezing me around the middle. Behind us, I could hear heavy footsteps accompanied by a billowing cloak.

"Scram!" I whispered as Snape got closer. Daniel took a glance over his shoulder and shoved us all forward. We giggled, tripping over each other's feet as we hurried down the character.

"Stop!" Snape shouted from behind it. We all halted and turned around. I bit down a chuckle: Snape's hair was _so _greasy when you saw it in the light! I realised my dad hadn't made it up one bit. I coughed to smother the laugh, and Snape growled furiously.

"Wait, that's _my_ line!" I whispered in Fred's ear. Snape's eyebrows met.

"All of you, detention with Miss Lupin and the red-headed twins. That means all of you."

"I'm so sorry guys," I said turning to the others with me. George smothered a grin as he read the expression in my eyes. "It looks like we're all in it now. Oh, come on, Bells, don't cry," I said as Fred stepped on her foot. Obligingly Isobel made her bottom lip tremble – rather realistically – and faced the floor. Daniel put an arm around her and glared at Snape, whispering pretend comforting words in her ear. She snorted, but managed to turn it into a sob. I then turned to Keira.

"Don't worry, Keira, I'm sure your mum won't find out - "

"Your dad will, though, Alyss," Fred put in, and I faked a shocked expression, quickly turning it into a worried one. Then I continued acting as though Snape wasn't there.

"Do you reckon he'll, like, come down personally and tell me off?" I asked with a worried glance at George.

"No, he's probably really busy right now. And besides, I think he got his fair share of detentions while he was here."

"That's right," I replied, ready to _really _let Snape have it, "he told me it was because he and my uncles used to make the whole school laugh by publicly humiliating - "

I cut myself off with an internal smirk and glanced over at Snape worriedly. He looked speechless with rage, so we made good our escape.

**I'm sorry I'm so late with this one, but I've been on holiday in the U.S.A for a while! I have so many ideas for later on in this story, but it's gonna be a while before I can build up to them!**

**So, bye for now!**


	7. Rainfall

"**Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death.****" – Earl Wilson**

I grabbed a seat at lunch next to Ben and took as much food as I could manage to fit on my plate. Fred sat down opposite me and grinned.

"That's more like it!"

I kicked him under the table and kept eating. He yelped and glared at me, but I just ignored him, taking out my anger in my lunch. The shaking had stopped now, but I was trying very hard not to think about Snape, for fear I would shift in front of everyone and reveal my secret. I didn't want that to happen, because I had begun to think that it would be a lot easier to get around the castle at night undetected in wolf form than in human form, unless my dad came up trumps and found where Uncle James had left his invisibility cloak before he died.

_Don't think about bad things! _I told myself crossly, and to distract myself picked up The Daily Prophet that was lying in front of me, and started translating the front page into French in my head. That kept me busy for a short while, but then George sat down heavily next to me, and I lost my concentration abruptly. I sighed, and Fred leant across the table towards me.

"What is it, Lupin?"

I grinned at him.

"Why don't you just dispense with courtesy entirely and give me a nickname? Then at least you don't have to pretend to remember my first name." I said, putting my fork down.

He eyed me speculatively for a little bit, then snapped his fingers, making Keira jump where she sat next to him. He grinned at her and shook his head, then glanced back at me.

"I'm going to call you Lupe!"

"Um … yay?" I replied, certain he would never remember.

"Yay indeed," George said happily, staring at me. I growled. George would remember to call me that, I was sure.

"Ooo, scary," Fred said, wiggling his fingers and pretending to be terrified. I bent with great dignity to the rest of my lunch.

"So, what do you think Snape will have us do?" Daniel queried, and I seized on the change of topic with great delight.

"I expect he'll do something stupid to us like make us reorganize all the file cabinets, or anything equally pointless and boring."

"Meh," Isobel said from where she was sitting on the other side of Ben. We all shut up for a bit to eat our lunches, and then I stood up, feeling full.

"Right, I'm going up to the common room to sit down for a bit. It's too wet to go outside."

Fred and Keira glanced up at the ceiling, and indeed enchanted rain was falling and disappearing just above our heads.

"Aw, are you afraid to get wet?" George teased, and I stared haughtily down at him.

"Of course not."

"Really?" His voice was heavily sarcastic, and I bridled at it.

"Fine, I'll prove it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" George asked, but I had whirled and was making my way out of the Great Hall. George and a few other people hurried after me, Zoe and Isobel among them.

"C'mon, Lupe, I didn't mean it! Don't go get all wet, or you'll be down with a cold before you know it!" George called, but I had broken into a run. I dumped my books and bag by the main doors, shrugged out of my heavy robes – getting them wet would be murder – and ran outside. It was very wet. I hadn't been expecting it – it never rained that hard in Greece or France, and we had been kept inside when it rained at the Weasley's. I 

gasped at the penetrating cold, but I was mad at that moment, so I very deliberately took a few more steps forward, and then turned and faced the doors. After all, I was so wet by now I might as well do the thing properly. George called out.

"Seriously, Alyss, come back inside."

I put my arms out on either side of me and began to spin a little, perversely quite liking the feeling of my clothes all plastered to me, and my hair slick against my head. Everyone was calling out to me at that point.

But then a very different voice penetrated the heavy rain. I squinted up at the door, hoping that it wasn't … but it was. Snape was glaring at me, his hooded eyes shooting daggers.

"Ah, Miss Lupin. I suggest you stop acting the fool and get back inside." I dug my heels into the ground and froze in my place. Snape growled angrily at me, and I smothered a laugh. He couldn't growl! Not compared to me. I proved it by letting a growl rumble up from deep in my belly and out of my mouth. Then I glanced around me, pretending to be worried where it had come from. A few people at the door were laughing, because a crowd had gathered to see what was going on.

Snape peered up at the sky, then took a deep breath and strode angrily out to where I was standing.

"Your friends aren't here to hold you back now, Lupin. So go on, tell me what you really think."

I cocked my head to one side. I was flaming mad now, but also intrigued as to how far I could bait Snape. After all, I might as well set a precedence for the rest of my time at the school.

"Why don't you tell me, professor?" I made my voice as innocent as I could, and batted my eyelashes.

"You are much worse than your father ever was. At least he never participated in his friends' bullying of innocent bystanders."

"Like yourself, you mean? You weren't exactly innocent, professor. It was no wonder my Aunt Lily never went out with you. At least Uncle James wasn't up to his forehead in the Dark Arts."

Snape's face paled to an even sallower white, but the tip of his nose glowed purple.

"Is that what you think? And what about your dear Uncle Sirius? What do you have to say about him?"

"Nothing. He is not guilty for even a thousandth of what you are."

"So you don't hold him responsible for the deaths of your dear Uncle and Aunt?"

"Of course not. He's a good man. Unlike some people I could name."

"You have crossed the line, Lupin." He grabbed my upper arm. I tried to wrestle it free, but he gripped it tighter and tighter. I growled for real this time, spitting words past my teeth, breathing becoming difficult as the rainfall impossibly got heavier.

"At least I was on the right side of it to begin with! My Uncle Sirius is completely innocent, and you know it. You know exactly who's responsible for Aunt Lily's death, but you can't betray either your Lord and Master or your hatred of Sirius! You're just too wrapped up in the past to let it go. And let go my arm or I'll sue!" I glowered at him, glad that the rain disguised the tears of pain running down my cheeks.

"You will, will you? And how - "

"Professor Snape, I suggest that you let go of my student's arm this instant." I gasped in relief as I heard Professor McGonagall's voice, and then in even deeper relief as the savage pressure disappeared. I sunk to the ground, the sobs tearing at my chest escaping. I heard McGonagall remonstrating sharply with Snape, and Snape's protests, which McGonagall ignored. After a short time I heard Snape raise his voice furiously.

"And how do you intend to punish her?"

"I think the cold she is sure to get, along with the bruise on her arm, will be punishment enough, Severus."

"So she's going to get away with it?"

"You have no proof but your word that she said anything rude to you, and I am pretty certain you will have allowed your old hatred of Remus and his friends to colour your actions. Thank you, Severus, but I will take it from here."

I heard Snape's angry footsteps fade away, and the babble of the crowd at the door as he vented a little of his anger on them. Then Professor McGonagall knelt down stiffly next to me and helped me to my feet.

"Are you alright, dear? I'm sorry about Professor Snape, but he has rather a history with your father and uncles, and I think he might take all his frustration out on you, and Harry when he arrives. Just be careful around him, alright? Now, let's get you inside. You might have a nasty cold soon, and if you do just send one of your friends down to Madam Pomfrey and she'll give you something for it, okay?"

We reached the entrance hall, and Fred and George and Isobel and everyone crowded in really close.

"I'm fine, guys, really." I told them, shivering. Professor McGonagall ushered us towards the stairs. I was so cold that I couldn't raise my leg high enough to climb the first step.

"I don't think freezing yourself almost to death on the first proper day of school was a very good idea, Miss Lupin," McGonagall commented, frowning at me as I stood shaking.

"Right, Weasley, Weasley, go and pick up Alyss's things, please. Oh, and send your brother over. Charlie, I mean." Fred and George walked over to my pile of things, stopping to tug on Charlie's arm.

I was shivering so hard my teeth were slamming together and I couldn't hear what was going on around me. Then I felt myself swung up into a pair of strong arms as easily as if I weighed nothing. Charlie grinned down at me, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You are an idiot, you know that?"

Unable to speak, I just nodded jerkily and shrank into his warmth. He laughed and held me tighter. I could hear amusement and chatter behind me, so I assumed everyone was following us up the stairs.

"Do you want her in the Hospital Wing, Professor?" Charlie enquired over his shoulder.

"No, the draughts in there can be terrible. We'll just take her up to her dormitory. I've sent Sir Nicholas down to ask the house-elves to send up some hot-water bottles, and I'm going to go see – what class do the first-years have next?"

"History of Magic, Professor," Zoe piped up cheerfully from somewhere further down the stairs.

"Then I shall go see Professor Binns, and excuse her from the lesson. Then she can warm up and go to her next class."

Charlie winked down at me, and I smiled past the feeling that the marrow in my bones was frozen. We finally arrived at the portrait hole and Charlie went in a little awkwardly. I grinned sheepishly, but then he paused.

"Can you walk from here? I can't get up to your room."

"S-s-s-sure." I replied, and managed to stand stiffly, shaking less by now. Professor McGonagall called my name, and I turned slowly. "I think five points from Gryffindor for your plain idiocy. I believe that's fair." I nodded in response, and then Zoe and Keira seized my arms and dragged me up the stairs. Then I peeled my wet stuff off and pulled on dry pajamas, climbing quickly into bed and resting my feet gratefully on the hot water bottle warming up my sheets.

"Idiot," Isobel chided me with a grin. I nodded and pulled the duvet up further to my chin.

"We've got another half hour before lessons start again. So, what did you say to Professor Snape? He was splendidly angry when he came back in."

"We just had a disagreement about my Uncle Sirius. Oh, and Snape's Death Eater history."

"Again: idiot," Isobel said and shook her head in despair.

"Sirius who?" Keira asked, gazing piercingly at me. From the other side of the room, Angelina raised her head.

"Oh, er … no-one you know … "

"It's Sirius Black, isn't it?" Keira said, more of a statement than a question.

I gazed hopelessly at them all – Zoe, Isobel and Keira sitting on my bed, and Angelina and Alicia with their heads up on the side of the room. Despairing, I nodded.

"But you told Professor Snape your uncle was innocent!" Alicia said, jumping off her bed and coming closer, Angelina behind her.

"I told Snape that because Uncle Sirius _is _innocent."

"Lupe, there are a hundred eye-witnesses who saw him commit mass-murder."

"Oh, not you too!" I cried, glaring at Zoe.

"What?" She asked, startled.

"Lupe! My name is Alyss."

"Not anymore," Zoe said, grinning. I sighed and shut my eyes. "And anyway, he can't be innocent."

"Anything is possible," I returned, my eyes still shut.

"You ever tried to slam a revolving door?" Isobel queried, and everybody laughed.

I opened my eyes. They were all laughing at Isobel, and the attention had shifted onto her.

"Promise not to say anything to anyone?" I said, desperately, as Alicia turned to look at me.

"I thought you said he was innocent?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"He is, but no-one believes that except me, him, and Peter Pettigrew. Oh, and Lord Voldemort, of course. And the school will hate me for it. So please, say nothing?"

Angelina, who had squeaked and fallen off the bed when I said Voldemort's name, poked her head up over the side.

"We won't, promise," she said, glancing round at everyone sitting on my bed.

"No, we won't," the others chorused, and I grinned happily.

"Thanks guys."

And then I sneezed so hard I made everyone jump.

"There's that cold!" Keira said, with an air of pleased vindictiveness. I glared at her. And then sneezed again. Isobel and Zoe disappeared off somewhere, banging the door behind them.

I closed my eyes as a pounding headache began to make its way to the forefront of my brain, and the quiet chatter washed over my head. Isobel and Zoe returned about fifteen minutes later, Isobel clutching a vial of something.

"Here," she said, handing it to me. "Madam Pomfrey says to drink half of it now, and then the other half after your final lesson."

I nodded, uncorking the vial and draining half of the bottle right then. Immediately, my sinuses unblocked and my headache disappeared. Grinning, I swung my legs out of bed and jumped to my feet; but I staggered and fell back onto the bed, muttering "head-rush," and sitting until my blood 

flow returned. It was taking a while, and I was beginning to get a little worried. I tried standing again, but the room spun and lurched. I grimaced and sat down, then lay down, closing my eyes.

"Oh yeah, Madam Pomfrey says the potion can have a few side-effects, like dizziness and loss of balance. But then, it does everything else you want it to, so no complaining." Zoe warned, waggling her finger at me.

I shook my head and shut my eyes tight. I could hear them all getting the right books together, and stuffing their wands inside their robes. I pulled the duvet up over my head and groaned loudly.

"Listen, Lupe, McGonagall said that I can leave History of Magic ten minutes early to come get you for charms, alright? So, see you in about an hour!" Keira said in my ear. I moaned and freed my arm from the bedclothes, using it to push her away. I could hear everyone laughing at us both, and then the voices receding down the stairs. The chatter was cut off by startled "oh!"s, and I grinned to myself, betting anything that the boys had flattened the staircases once again. We would have to find a way past that.

I pulled my head above the duvet, taking a gulp of fresh air. Bucket was sitting in his cage next to the bed, the door swinging open.

"Oh, Bucket, what happened?"

Because he had had feathers pulled out, he had a vicious slash down one side of his neck, and his beak had a chip taken out of it. He was breathing heavily, beak open, with his eyes shut.

"Baby, did the owls attack you?"

He did nothing, but I reached in and pulled him out of his cage, running gentle fingers along the side of the wound in his neck. He shuddered, and I gave him a big cuddle, then stood unsteadily up and made me way to the bathroom, where I bathed his cut in cold water and then took him back to my bed, where he nestled down with the air of a wounded soldier. I smiled and went back to bed, closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep surprisingly quickly.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

**Okay, sorry this took so long! It's the first piece I wrote on my new laptop! Yay! I'm also going to start putting teasers in for the next chapters!**

**Okay, here goes.**

"_**This time you have to kiss it." Fred to Alyss.**_

_**Enjoy!**_


	8. Letters

I was roughly awakened about fifteen minutes later by Fred, who had somehow managed to get up the stairs

"**The dinosaur's extinction wasn't an accident. Barney came and they all committed suicide." - unknown**

I was roughly awakened about fifteen minutes later by Fred, who had somehow managed to get up the stairs.

"How?" I muttered sleepily.

"How what?" he asked, grinning broadly and climbing onto my bed. I groaned at him and shifted up so he could sit next to me.

"How did you get up the stairs?" I enquired, still a little incoherent.

"I used our latest invention! Dream trainers."

He waggled a foot, on the end of which was a shoe with a wing embossed on either side.

"They let us fly!"

"Really?" I asked, a little sarcastically. He tapped my nose.

"None of that, now! So Keira said you were ill. What's wrong?"

I sighed. "Dizziness, and now a headache."

"You poor little thing."

"Does the teacher mind you're missing his lesson?"

"He didn't notice I left. He called out the register, said it was the last time he was doing that all term, then buried his head in a sheaf of parchment and starting calling out notes to us. I just went down on my knees and crawled out."

I tried to sit up, and Fred put his hands under my arms and heaved me up.

"Thanks. Did anyone else notice?"

"Yes, that thickhead from Hufflepuff, Diggory."

"Who?"

"You know, the one that lives near us."

I paused and searched for the memory. Ah yes, there it was. The boy and his father and mother had come round for lunch with the Weasley family, and my dad and I had still been there. I blushed, remembering the quidditch game after lunch. I had just given up, drifting high above the pitch and singing to myself until the game ended. They had all laughed at me afterwards, Cedric included.

"Cedric." I said, with certainty. And then, "he's not thick, Fred, he's actually quite smart."

"Sure, sure," Fred replied, with the air of one who had lost interest in the subject.

Then he spoke again. "Do you have nightmares often?"

"Yes, almost every night. Either that or I just can't sleep. Why?"

"Charlie told me to tell you that you can come get in with me or George any night you like."

I grinned. "Tell Charlie thanks," I said, leaning my head on Fred's shoulder.

"Is the room still spinning?"

"A little," I admitted with a sigh. He reached for my hand and held it, and I shut my eyes again. He shifted where he was sitting, and I opened my eyes to see that he had somehow removed my necklace without me noticing.

"How did you do that?"

"Years of practice," he replied casually. Then he pulled out his wand and muttered something, pointing it at the necklace. A small jet of blue-white light flew from the end of his wand into the necklace, which turned briefly crystal and then silver again.

"Does it still work?" I asked petulantly as he hung it around my neck again.

"I don't know. Why don't you try?"

"Fine!" I replied, glaring at him. "Sing softly for me," I said to the necklace. Nothing happened. My frown deepened. Fred just smiled.

"Try blowing on it."

"Are you nuts?"

"No, for once I am perfectly serious."

"Git," I said, before bending my head and skeptically blowing on the necklace. The first haunting note rang out, and I squealed with delight, giving Fred a massive hug.

"You're a genius!"

"I know," he replied, and I stared at the picture inside the locket, my heart swelling with gratitude. When the song finished, Fred nudged me.

"This time you have to kiss it, to make it go back."

"You had better be joking."

"I'm not."

"Git," I said again before pulling the locket to my mouth and, crossly, kissing it. Indeed it turned back to silver. Fred put an arm around my shoulders as I reached over him for the picture that stood on my bedside table, to the front of all the others.

I sat staring at it, the figures in it still playing their game. I touched the glass lovingly, and the people inside paused to wave up at me. Even the baby Harry put his chubby fist in the air. However, my gaze was fixed on the sandy-haired man in the corner. He was grinning fit to burst, his expression full of love. I sighed.

"I have to write to my dad," I said, and Fred obligingly jumped off the bed and went over to my bag. He pulled out a heavy book, a piece of parchment and a quill and ink pot. Coming back over, he unscrewed the lid of the ink, handed me everything else, and then sat so I could dip my quill into the pot he was holding and lean on the book so I didn't make holes in the parchment.

"Thanks," I said, and began to write.

It took about twenty minutes to finish, and the end result was a little rough.

_Dad, _I wrote,

_I'm sorry I ran away from you on the platform, and then hid from you on the train, but it wasn't fair of you and mum to try and make me choose between you._

_I've arrived at Hogwarts very safely, and am now holed up in bed because George said I was afraid of the rain so I went outside to prove that I wasn't and got a really bad cold. Also, Professor Snape hates me. He was rude about you and Uncle Sirius in class – although he didn't name Uncle Sirius – and I defended you and then nearly lost control in front of the whole class, and got detention for growling by mistake. Fred and George got detention next, but then everyone in Gryffindor got it because we ran out of his classroom down the corridor. _

_The weird thing is, when I was outside Snape like grabbed my arm and squeezed it really hard, and while I was trying to get away, I was insulting him for everything. When he mentioned Uncle Sirius, and I said that Wuffie was innocent, he got this look in his eye that said he was lying when he disagreed with me. Snape _knows _who's responsible for Aunt Lily's and Uncle James's death, but he won't admit it. Stupid Death Eater. And now I have a huge bruise on my arm._

_I think Bucket got into a fight, but he's alright for now. Will you take a look at him? I think maybe the owls all ganged up on him. The food here is great, but water gets a little boring and there is no way I'm drinking pumpkin juice. Ew! _

_The girls in my dorm are so nice. There's Isobel, who's really pretty and confident, and Zoe who's Chinese and really cool, and Keira who's quiet but SO nice! We have two other girls as well, Angelina and Alicia, but they speak to each other more than they speak to us. The boys are all awesome, and Fred and George invented these new trainers that let them fly! Cool, huh?_

_I hope that you're not too lonely, and that the bookshop is going well. There's this new book I've heard of, Twilight, and can you order it in for me? Keira's reading it at the moment, and she says it's the best book she ever read. Ever. _

_Write back to me as soon as you can! I miss you._

_Alyss_

_xoxoxoxoxox_

I put it in an envelope, wrote 'Remus Lupin, Valparaiso, Cornwall,' on the front, and then Fred carried Bucket to the window for me and threw him out. I watched as his figure disappeared into the distance, and then turned to Fred.

"So, what now?"

"I'll go get my chess set." He replied, and disappeared off down the stairs. He was an odd sight, floating about two inches off the floor. I grinned and leant my head back.

Fred returned quickly, and set up the board. Turns out on the train they'd all been letting me win. Fred smashed me up completely.

Keira returned and stopped abruptly in the doorway.

"How-in-hell did you get up here?" She inquired of Fred. He winked and got to his feet, sliding off the bed.

"I'll be downstairs. You get changed and we'll all go to Charms together."

I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed as he drifted off down the stairs.

"Wow, those twins are insanely good at magic." Keira said, and I nodded in agreement, somehow getting out of bed and pulling my robes on in a daze. Keira stopped me when I was halfway dressed.

"Um, I think you have to wear your school shirt."

I glanced down and with embarrassment noticed I still had my pyjama top on and was about to pull my jumper over it. I pulled it off and replaced it with my shirt. I hung on to the bedpost to put my socks and shoes on, and then grabbed Keira's arm for support as we wandered over to the door, pausing to grab our stuff.

"Well, you guys took a while," remarked Fred, who was drifting just above the floor a little absentmindedly, and earning some looks of respect from some sixth-years who obviously had a free period.

"Sorry," I said, letting go of Keira's hand and making sure I was fully balanced before taking a step forward. I wasn't too dizzy, but I had that weird light-headed feeling where everything seems miles away. Keira looked at me with sympathy, and I shook my head and tugged Fred forward towards the portrait hole. He managed to stay balanced for a short time, but then, with a grin, I yanked his arm and he tumbled forwards. I let out a shout of laughter as he angrily picked himself up. Keira sniggered along with me, and Fred pushed past us both and strode over to the portrait hold, pausing to throw a sentence over his shoulder.

"What did you do that for, Lupe?"

"You beat me at chess."

"Don't be a sore loser!" He turned fully around, feet firmly on the ground, and glared at me. I bared my teeth at him, and then we both sighed.

"Look, I'm not in the mood," I said, and he nodded and we all clambered out of the portrait hole and made our way to our charms classroom. I had to stop once and sit down for a little while, but we got there eventually and took three seats at the back of the classroom. We were the first to arrive, so we settled ourselves down comfortably and pulled out our books, quills and wands. Fred was amusing Keira and I by making little jets of light shoot out of the end of his wand and take the shape of little birds. They were enchanting, and they flapped delicately around our heads. I raised my hand and one landed on it gracefully. It weighed almost nothing, and I felt a slight tingling where it perched. I grinned in delight at Fred, but he was watching Keira, laughing at her as she ducked when one of the little birds swooped just over her head.

We all jumped when we heard the door swing open, and Fred hurriedly ended the spell. The rest of the class filed in slowly, and Ben grabbed the seat next to me with a grin.

"You feeling better?" He asked, and I shrugged.

"I guess a little. But I have that really weird feeling where it's like I'm watching everything from a distance. What was History of Magic like?"

Ben yawned in response. "So incredibly boring. The prat 'teaching' us didn't even notice Fred leave. It was so dull I was almost asleep after ten minutes."

"So I didn't miss much, then?"

"Nothing at all!"

"Good morning, class," a squeaky voice piped up from the front of the classroom. I craned my head to the side to see around Isobel's head, and smirked inwardly. The teacher was standing on a pile of books just so he could see over his desk. He was absolutely tiny! I glanced at Fred and could see the same thought running through his mind. Our eyes connected momentarily, and I could see a glint of mischief in his that had me forewarned.

I motioned to Daniel, and lobbed note at him. He opened it, scribbled something and then threw it back.

Underneath where I had written _Switch places with me?_

He had written _There is no way – I can see what Fred is up to. I suggest you get under the desk when I give you the signal._

I craned my head to one side, but I was unable to see what Fred and George were constructing. I hurriedly wrote _what's the signal?_

Daniel glanced up at me and scratched the side of his nose. I nodded and sat back, watching Daniel fixedly. The teacher was speaking, and I could hear scribbling quills as the people around me took notes. I grabbed hold of Keira's robe.

"What?" she whispered. I put my lips next to her ear.

"Fred and George are up to something big – grab Ben's robe and tell him the same: when I tug get under the desk."

I drew back. She smirked and leant over so she could murmur the same to Ben. I could see Daniel doing the same with Isobel and Zoe in the row in front, and I had to assume that Lee, on the other side of Fred and George, was also ready to duck.

All the Gryffindors bar Angelina and Alicia, who were seated at the front of the classroom, were now holding onto each other, all waiting for the tug. Daniel had twisted round in his seat to watch Fred and George, and the teacher spoke from the front.

"Mr … um … Bitar, could you please turn around so I know that you're paying atten - ?"

But as soon as he started the word 'attention,' Daniel scratched his nose and tugged on Isobel's arm. I pulled Keira down and she made Ben get under the desk too. We were all just down when something shot up from where Fred and George were. They shot down under the desks next to us, and just in time. The thing, whatever it was, had hit the ceiling and exploded, covering everyone not under cover in something smelly and green. Fred and George were shaking with laughter.

"What were you guys thinking? You could get expelled!" Isobel hissed from the row in front.

"No, we won't. We just want the school to know - " began Fred.

" – who we are and how we intend to spend our time here!" George finished. I smacked my head in dismay, but grinned despite myself.

**Sorry I took so long to update everyone! I have been LOADED with work – coursework, homework, and of course the ever-present French work, which my sadist teacher likes to give us so we have NO lives outside of school and work. I swear, I finished writing this at 7.40, and I now have to write and learn 300 words by TOMORROW first period! Ack. Curse English public schools.**

**Teaser for the next chapter:**

"_Why do we all have lionesses?_**" – Alyss Lupin**

**Anyway, I hope you liked the quote, and I promise to make a special effort to update soon!**


	9. Thief? Me?

The teacher turned, quivering with anger, to the back of the classroom.

"Would everyone under the desks please come out." It wasn't a question, and everyone clambered to their feet a little sheepishly. Except me, because I slipped on some of the icky goo and fell down again, managing to twist as I fell so I didn't get a face-full. I got to my feet more carefully the second time, grabbing hold of George's robes to steady myself.

"One word … payback!" I muttered cheerfully to him, and he frowned.

"That's two words. And payback for what?" He replied, turning a quizzical expression to me as the teacher climbed down from his pile of books and marched down the aisle between the now sludge-brown/green desks.

"Payback for tricking me into going out in the rain!" I was extremely cheerful, confident that both boys were about to be in serious trouble.

"Fred and George Weasley, to the headmaster, now!" Professor Flitwick managed to get out, almost spitting with rage. I made the mistake of letting a giggle escape.

"Miss Lupin, you can join them, thank you."

My jaw fell open. George snapped it shut gently and mouthed _payback _at me before all three of us turned and trooped silently out of the classroom. We wandered down several corridors and up a flight of staircases before we realised that we had no idea where we were going. I sat on a stone bench and frowned.

"So, what now?" I queried miserably, furious with myself for getting in trouble _yet _again today.

"Well ……" Fred began.

"We could sit here and look miserable ……" George continued cheerfully.

"Or we could get up and spend happy hours wandering around the school, seeing what's behind all the tapestries and shit!" Fred finished with a flourish, pulling me to my feet and dragging me down the corridor. I stopped to stare at a statue of a one-eyed witch and grinned.

"What, Lupe?" Fred asked, stopping next to me. I turned to him.

"I know this statue! My dad told me about it – it's hiding a secret passage. You just have to tap it with your wand and say … umm ……" I sat on the floor, regarding the stone witch as I tried to recall the spell. George started to examine the tapestry opposite.

"Is it really worth going through?" Fred asked dubiously as I got up and started pacing.

I whirled to face him, plait swinging.

"Um, yeah! It leads to Honeyduke's cellar. THE Honeyduke's cellar – where they store all the sweeties!"

Both boys' jaws dropped. George was the first to regain coherency.

"Think harder, dammit!" He almost yelled at me, and I scowled at him, sliding down the wall until I was sitting on the ground again. I put my head in my hands and carefully went through each of my memories. Then I had it. I leapt to my feet with a cry of delight and ran over to the witch, managing to avoid tripping over. I pulled my wand out of my robes and tapped the statue hard on its hump thing.

"Dissendium!" A harsh grating sound emanated and a dark hole appeared in the hump. I grinned wildly at the twins and lifted up one leg, shoving it down the hole, and then climbing in fully. I slid down easily, with loads of room to spare, but I could guess that when I grew bigger it would be harder to fit through. I landed with a thump and scrambled to get out of the way as Fred followed me down, then George. We all stood up properly, and then started to make our way down the tunnel. It was dark, and Fred and George lit up the ends of their wands, but I was too afraid of tripping over and falling on my face, so I clung on to the back of Fred's robe as we hurried along.

Fred and George were really desperate to get to the chocolate and things, so we walked very fast, almost running at some points. It still took us _ages _though, but eventually the passage sort of ascended, and then George swore loudly.

"What happened?!" Fred asked.

"Hit my head on the bloody trap-door." George replied through gritted teeth, and I giggled at him. He tossed something obscene over his shoulder and carefully pushed the door open, climbing out. He extended a hand to Fred, and then they both lifted me out. I was quite surprised at how strong they both were – it required no effort on my part, they both just put hands under my arms and lifted me out, setting me on my feet. I gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks you guys!" I exclaimed, and they both blushed. Then, they were instantly distracted by the huge crates of sweets. With a wild grin, Fred dashed over to the nearest one and prised the top open.

"Finest Honeyduke's chocolate!" He yelled with delight, and George and I shushed him hurriedly.

"Right, that will have alerted the shopkeepers, so grab what you can and let's go!" George said, and levitated one crate after another into the tunnel. We continued until we had 'borrowed' about eight or nine crates, and then we heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Go!" Fred hissed, and we all jumped into the passage and George shut it hurriedly behind us. All three of us froze, deadly silent, as a man walked right across the door to the tunnel we were crouched in.

"I say, someone's pinched some crates!" He yelled, and I could hear a woman shout in response, although I couldn't make out the words. I turned to Fred and George, meaning to indicate that we should start moving, but they were both staring at me. I glanced down at myself, only to notice that I had reflexively flicked down into wolf-form without noticing. I whined sheepishly, and Fred clamped a hand down over my muzzle. I raised a paw and tried to scrape it off. He let go, and I showed him my teeth before changing back to my human self. I frowned at Fred, but before I could say anything we heard another set of footsteps join the first. We all silently pulled out our wands and levitated three boxes each out in front of us.

We all walked back down the passageway, growing louder and more raucous the further away we got from the cellar.

"This is brilliant!" Fred exclaimed. "This is going to keep us going for weeks. Our dorms will _love _us!"

George and I grinned madly and then we all broke out into a chorus of "We Are The Champions."

We were still singing crazily and badly as we reached the hole that would lead us back into the school via the witch.

"Go shove your head out and see if anyone's about, Fred," I said, and he scowled at me before dropping his crates and scrambling up and sticking his face out carefully.

"Coast's clear!" He stage-whispered, and clambered out. George and I put our backs into it and shoved one crate, and then another, and another, up to Fred, who yanked them out and set them on the floor beside the stone witch. When the last one had been hauled up, with many groans and curses, George boosted me out and then climbed out himself. We all drew our wands once more and selected three crates each, and then started walking along the corridor, listening hard for footsteps coming from the opposite direction.

As we walked, Fred smiled suddenly. "This has got to be a record!" He said. "We snuck out of school on our second day here! I bet even your dad and Uncles can't beat that. And check out the amount of sweets we got!"

George snorted. "Knowing Alyss' luck we've probably selected nine boxes of those blood-flavoured lollipops Bill brought us that one time, remember?" He and Fred shared a grimace of disgust.

"Guys, someone's coming!" I whispered, my more sensitive ears picking up the sound of approach before theirs, distracting me from the insult George had sent my way.

"Quick, behind here," Fred said, dragging George and I plus all our crates behind a tapestry, which turned out to have a large hollow and tunnel hidden behind it.

"Sweet," George said happily, and set off down the tunnel.

"Pure luck," I replied, and followed, with Fred behind me. We came to a solid wall at the other end, and I groaned in disgust.

"No, check it out! It's only pretending … see?" George walked straight through it and disappeared. I shrugged and also stepped out, delighted to find myself just down the corridor and up a floor from the Gryffindor Common room. I turned and took careful note of the location of the passage – between the picture of the monkey wearing a banana on its head and a suit of armour with a large purple/green plume in its helmet. First Fred's boxes, then Fred himself stepped out of the wall – which was very amusing to watch. We padded quietly down the corridor and came to a long staircase. I grinned and started to skip down it. Then I found myself abruptly wedged around my middle in a step. Fred had to hang on to the banister to stop himself falling down the stairs, he was laughing so hard. I swore at him, and George hurried down, setting down his boxes and grabbing my arms, trying to pull me out. I was stuck pretty tight, so Fred had to come help. They both their backs into it and I felt myself slip first an inch, and then more, until I was free. The twins set me carefully on a step and I jumped to my feet, all three of us laughing harder than we had in a while, and we practically ran down the hallway, skidding to a halt in front of the Fat Lady.

"Bucket," George almost yelled, and we all somehow got inside with all our boxes and dashed madly across the common room, ignoring the annoyed looks of the other students and up the stairs into the boys' dormitory. We dumped the boxes with a flourish in front of Ben, Lee and Daniel's incredulous faces.

"No touchey 'til I get back, 'kay?" I said, and pelted down their stairs and up mine to grab Keira, Zoe and Isobel, dragging them back to the boys, managing to garble out "sweeties" as we went. We all ended up in the boys' dormitory. The others all sat on the beds, wearing suitable expressions of admiration and excitement as Fred, George and I prised open the first box.

"Sugar quills!" Fred proclaimed in delight, and we moved on to the next one. It was the one Fred had already opened, and it was stuffed full of Honeyduke's finest chocolate. I went to one, and George helped me open it as Fred went to another.

"Chocolate Frogs!" Fred shouted just as George yelled "Fizzing Whizzbees!" That did it, and everyone leapt off the beds and ran to the nearest crate, levering it open.

Soon the room was filled with cries of "Every flavour beans!" and "funny purple shiny things!" and such like. Isobel's box was the most exciting. She got the top off, and found more boxes inside it.

I grabbed one. It was small enough to pick up easily but still relatively big. I tore the top off feverishly and then paused, awestruck. A beautiful silver ring, bracelet and earring set lay nestled against creamy fabric. It occurred to me to wonder what jewellery was doing in a crate from a sweetshop, but as I glanced over at the others, they were all equally entranced with their findings. I studied the set again, amazed at its beauty. By luck, I had selected what seemed to be the perfect jewellery for me. However, as I once again looked at the others, it seemed that they'd all found something perfect for themselves. All the boys seemed to have rings only, but they were each looking pretty pleased with them.

All of the girls had jewellery sets. I examined mine closely. The earrings were two matching, deep blue sapphires set in a delicate web of silver and diamond. The bracelet was a silver chain, from which hung a sparkling sapphire heart, a crystal horse in full gallop and a silver wolf. Both the sapphire and the crystal glimmered brilliantly when I held them up to the light. Then I examined the ring. It was pure silver. A single band made up most of it, but there was a sapphire set into the metal, once again surrounded by diamond. On closer inspection, I noticed a carving in the sapphire. I put my nose almost right up next to it. The lines eventually melded into a lioness! She was standing proud. I smiled hugely, sliding the ring onto my finger and wrapping the bracelet around my wrist and doing it up. Then I realised I couldn't do anything with the earrings. I humphed, and sat down on the bed.

"What'd you get, Lupe?" Zoe asked excitedly, running over.

"These, see? Isn't it pretty?" I held out my bracelet on one wrist and my ring on the other hand. Zoe gazed at the things for a while.

"Yours are just like mine! As though they were made for us alone. Isn't it fantastic?"

She showed me hers. She had a gold necklace with a teardrop shaped ruby pendant, a gold bracelet with a heart-shaped ruby, crystal angel wings and a silver chinese symbol hanging off it, and a ring set with a ruby.

"And check it out, the ring has a lioness carved into it. Isn't that cool?"

"It's incredible. I have a lioness, too, see? What does that symbol mean?"

"It means peace, I think."

We looked at each others rings closely for a second, and then Keira came over.

"Check it out! They're _perfect_!"

She had a white-gold necklace with a heart-shaped emerald pendant, a white-gold bracelet with a heart-shaped emerald, crystal shamrock and silver dolphin, and a white-gold ring set with an emerald carved with the same lioness. I grinned at her, and Zoe called Isobel.

"What'd you get? Did you get same as us? Necklace, bracelet and ring?"

She wandered over to us, entranced with her jewellery.

"Yeah," she murmured, and we prised it away to pore over it. She had some sort of whitish metal that looked like gold but was too bright to be. Her necklace was hung with a star-shaped diamond, and her bracelet had the inevitable diamond heart, as well as a silver unicorn and a white lioness, made out of the same metal as the bracelet and necklace.

"And my ring has a lioness! Awesome!" She said, and we all grinned madly.

"Why do we all have lionesses?" I asked, pausing to wonder.

"We all have lions," Fred commented, coming over to where we are gathered. The other boys followed.

"We reckon it's for Gryffindor," Ben said, studying Isobel's jewellery.

They all held out their hands, and on their fingers were solid gold rings with a ruby set into them all, and when I examined Fred's it had a lion carved into the stone.

"Cool," Zoe said, and then as the boys let their hands fall we pulled up our arms to show them ours.

"You got bracelets and necklaces too? Jealous!" Daniel said, pulling my arm with the bracelet closer to his face so that he could examine the little crystal horse. He flicked it and I hastily withdrew my arm.

"So, why d'you reckon all this was in Honeydukes?"

"No idea. I don't care though. It's like all these were made for us. Lucky we happened to pick up the right ones for us, huh?!" Ben said.

"I don't think luck has anything to do with it," I remarked darkly. Everyone ignored me, ecstatic with their finds.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

We arrived quite late down for dinner, having taken a while to divide the sweets and chocolate up to our satisfaction. When we were done the boys had helped us carry our stuff back up to our dormitory.

We all sat down at the table. Fred, George and I were now the heroes, and everyone was grinning like mad at us. Feeling more than slightly pleased with myself, I loaded my plate up and dug in happily. Mindful of the stash up in our dorm, I didn't eat too much.

"Midnight feast," I remarked to Isobel, who was sitting on my right. Her face lit up and she passed the message on to Keira and Zoe. For some reason, Angelina and Alicia had chosen to sit apart from the rest of us. Ever the gentleman, George had gone to keep them company. Fred, however, was enjoying everyone's admiring glances too much to move anywhere. I was very aware that Angelia and Alicia were not becoming close friends like the rest of us, but it didn't particularly bother me. It bothered Keira, though, and she struck up a conversation with me about it while the other conversations went on around us.

"Do you think Angelina and Alicia don't like us?" She asked me quietly as I started on my treacle tart.

"Why would you think that?" I asked, licking my spoon absent-mindedly.

"They never sit with us, barely talk to us. It's weird."

"Maybe they don't. Aren't I enough for you, my dear?" I enquired teasingly. She blushed and grinned at me, giving me a hug.

"Of course, it's only you I love," she muttered, and we both sat gazing at each other for a split second before bursting into laughter. Fred glanced up to see what was funny, and then glared because he didn't get the joke.

"I can't be bothered to explain," I told him, and he turned his head away in disgust. Winking at Daniel, who was watching us curiously, I dipped my finger into the chocolate mousse.

"Hey Fred?" I said, and as he turned I smeared my chocolaty finger right across his face. Everyone who saw it started to laugh. I saw the twinkle in Fred's eye and made a run for it. He leapt up and chased me out of the Great Hall. I made a dash for the stairs, and I was up them and halfway down the next corridor by the time he caught up with me. He tackled me from behind and we both fell over, tangled up completely. He pinned me down, knees on my arms, and then very deliberately drew whiskers and a nose on me with chocolate mousse. I was laughing too hard to fight properly, and by the time he finished he was laughing too. He was hovering over me and I tried ineffectually to push him off. My shove was feeble but he rolled off anyway.

"I recognise you two," a voice said, and I groaned inwardly as I recognised the small charms professor. "However, the Headmaster informs me that he still has to meet you, so I think I'll take you to him."

We both struggled to our feet. Fred stood on the edge of my robe so I couldn't get up, and I strained for a minute before realising what he was doing and jabbed him in the ribs. He got off, and we followed the professor.

"Um, sir?" I asked as politely as I could.

"Yes?" he replied, glancing over his shoulder at me.

"Do you know any good charms for removing like heavy stones or something that are in your way?"

He stopped to asses me for a second, and I put on my best eager-to-learn face.

"Yes. You need simply say _portario _followed by the thing you wish to move, along with this wand movement." He demonstrated. I grinned.

"Thanks, sir."

We walked in silence the rest of the way, Fred obviously wondering what on earth I wanted to know that charm for. We eventually reached a gargoyle guarding something.

"Humbug," Professor Flitwick whispered to it, obviously under the impression that Fred and I couldn't hear. I permitted myself a small smile, glad for the millionth time for my hearing. The gargoyle blinked sleepily at Flitwick a couple of times. Then he stood up, stretched, and moved aside. Fred and the professor walked right past him, and I heard a grating noise. I stopped in front of the gargoyle.

"Thank you very much for letting us through, Mr Gargoyle." I said to him. He looked a little surprised at being addressed by someone. "How are you today? Your stones look very nice, by the way. Did you do something to them? You know, I heard that lady gargoyle at the end of the passage say that she was very honoured to be sharing a hallway with such a magnificent example of her species. I think she _likes _you, if you get what I mean." I nodded significantly, and the gargoyle blinked once more, then opened his mouth.

"Thanks for the tip. What's your name?"

"Alyss Lupin, sir," I informed him, accompanying it with a curtsey. "Who're you?"

"My name is Guardian," He told me with an indulgent smile.

"Does it get very boring with nothing to do all day, Guardian?" I asked him, sitting down on the floor. He jumped off his pedestal and came to sit in front of me. He had the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, with the fangs of a snake and the cute little tail of the badger.

"Yes," he replied to the question I had almost forgotten I asked. "You are the first apart from the Headmaster to stop to talk to me. Thank you very much for that. I am in your debt."

I giggled and shook my head. "No! I just thought how fierce and proud you looked and wanted to see if you were as scary as I thought you were."

He looked rather pleased at this, and I grinned widely. It was _so _easy to wind people around your little finger.

"So, how often do students go up to the Headmaster's office?" I enquired, but at that moment the tiny teacher reappeared.

"Gargoyle, you know that you are not supposed to talk to the students!" Guardian leapt back on to his plinth and froze. "And you, Miss Lupin, the headmaster is waiting for you upstairs." He turned and disappeared off down the hallway.

I faced Guardian. "Excuse me, Mr Guardian, can I go through please?"

He opened his eyes. "Of course, my dear," he said, and extended an arm. I walked past him, stopping to blow him a kiss, and got on to the first step. Immediately the staircase started revolving and it carried me right up to outside Dumbledore's study. I raised my fist to knock on the door but it swung open before I could. I stepped inside, and saw Fred seated in front of a large wooden desk that was covered with bits of parchment. Behind the desk sat an old man with a very long beard.

"Alyss, my dear, how you've grown," he remarked with considerable pleasure in seeing me again.

"Hi," I said, sitting down, with no clue as to how he knew me.

"I am Professor Dumbledore," he said, "and you two are in trouble."

We both nodded. "We know," we replied in unison, a look flashing between us that was really just an attempt to unsettle the old man. It didn't work.

"You both, and also George Weasley, have detention every night this week already from Professor Snape," Dumbledore began.

"Git," I whispered, and Dumbledore frowned at me.

"Language, Miss Lupin, or I shall be forced to punish you for insolence." I nodded once and then sat scowling. Dumbledore was looking highly amused as he surveyed us both, and I was beginning to get more than a little hacked off when he finally said, "So, is it now the fashion to wander around wearing your pudding, rather than eating it?"

Fred and I shared a horrified glance, in which I noted the line of mousse across his face, and immediately used our sleeves to clean our faces. Dumbledore nodded.

"Alyss, can I ask what distracted you downstairs?"

"You can. I was talking to Guardian, the gargoyle. He's cool. I want one."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "You want one, do you?" he asked. I nodded.

"Well, you won't get one. And please don't talk to him again. It distracts him from his job. Now, on to other matters. Professor Flitwick sent you here for playing a rather poor practical joke on his charms class and classroom."

"I didn't do it!" I exclaimed at the same time as Fred said, "actually, it was rather brilliant."

"Whatever is the case, you will lose twenty-five points between you, and your detentions will be upgraded. Tonight you will report to Mr Filch's office, but tomorrow night you will visit Hagrid in the grounds, and then for the next two nights you will write lines with Professor McGonagall, and then the last night you will spend cleaning my gargoyle and the steps to my office."

We both sat, fuming inside. Stupid Snape, the greasy git, had got us into this, and boy was I going to piss him off because of it. I glanced at Fred once more just as he looked at me.

"You may both leave. Oh, and Alyss, please give my regards to your father." Dumbledore dismissed us with a wave of his hand.

I nodded, and we both paced out of the door, down the stairs and into the corridor.

"Bye bye, Mr Guardian," I said to the gargoyle, patting one of his stone feet. He winked at me and then froze back into stone. Then Fred and I both pelted down the corridor and back to the Gryffindor Tower. We screeched to a halt in front of the Fat Lady, panted out the password and stormed across the common room and up the boys' stairs.

"Fucking git!" I burst out as soon as we were inside the room with the door shut. The room was still empty.

"I know! What is he playing at? Upgrade our detentions, indeed! Let's bloody well make him pay for that!" Fred yelled fiercely.

"Him and Snape, the twat."

"Yeah! Let's start planning now."

We both settled down with our backs to the heater, and Fred pulled out a muggle notebook and pencil. I glanced at them in surprise.

"What? Dad gets all sorts of useful muggle stuff, so I might as well use it, right?"

I agreed, and we both bent our heads over the pad.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

By the time all the other boys returned, Fred and I were surrounded by screwed up balls of paper and had pinned several plans up on the walls. I got up, stretched, and left with goodbyes to everyone as Fred drew George off to one side to explain our current favourite idea to him. I'll tell you about it when we decide to do it – it's gonna be awesome, I can promise that.

I ran up the stairs to my dorm. "C'mon guys, detention time!" I shouted, and Zoe and Isobel glanced up. They were lying on the floor writing an essay, and Keira was sitting on her bed doing hers. Angelina and Alicia were only conspicuous by their absence. With moans and groans Zoe got to her feet and dragged Isobel up. Keira bounced off the bed.

"Jeez, what are you so excited about?" Isobel asked her. Keira shrugged.

"Dunno. I figure we might as well be optimistic about it though, right?"

The rest of us murmured something random and we all trooped out the door. It took us about thirty minutes to arrive at the caretaker's office, due to Zoe's insistence that she knew where she was going when in fact she had no idea.

"Welcome, little children …"

**Chapter nine has arrived! Leave a review to tell me what you thought … please?! I love you all – especially those who review me :D make it your good deed of the day!**

"**We were shit-scared you'd been eaten by something!" – Fred Weasley**


	10. Christmas Madness

"**There is nothing so ridiculous as the British public in one of its periodical fits of morality." - Macauley**

The voice that issued from the room reminded me of the voice of the child-catcher in Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. I squeaked and hid behind Zoe. Fred came out, laughing, and I jumped forward and hit him.

"I'll get you for that," I said, a far-away look coming into my eyes as I plotted revenge.

"Whatever," was the only reply I received. I pulled out my wand and then realised I didn't know enough good hexes, and put it away again.

"Right, tonight you will be sorting out all the drawers in my office. I would much rather whip you, but there we are."

The voice came from the ancient caretaker who was standing to one side of the dingy office when we entered.

"Jeez, into bondage much?" I whispered to Fred, and he laughed. The boys were already digging through various drawers and file cabinets. I saw George slip a large piece of parchment into his pocket and grinned.

_Perfect, _I thought, heading over to help George. Together we 'sorted' through Filch's "highly dangerous" draw, shoving whatever we could into our pockets when he wasn't looking.

I glanced around at one point to see how everyone was doing, and saw that Keira was the only one making any attempt at tidying up. All the other people were just moving stuff around, trying to make it look neater. I grinned and George and I returned to rummaging through for any other good pranking toys. George boldly plunged his hand deep into the drawer and then swore quietly as he withdrew his arm, a frisbee hanging from his hand by it's teeth. I could see tears of pain forming in his eyes, although he blinked to clear them, so I grasped hold of the Fanged Frisbee and tugged hard to get it off. It let go of George, who clutched his bleeding hand to his chest, and then – well, I would like to say it leapt at me, but I don't know whether things without legs _can _leap. Anyway, it launched itself at me and I fell over backwards with a squeak of alarm, thus drawing all attention to me. Immediately everyone abandoned their jobs and rushed over, helping to restrain the Frisbee. I grimaced as I got to my feet, and Filch rushed over.

"Stupid child! Can't you read? This drawer says 'Highly Dangerous!' So next time, don't try to sort it out, okay? You," he continued, gesturing at George, "get to the Hospital Wing."

George hurried out, and I suspected that he would have time to drop everything off in the Gryffindor tower before going to see Madam Pomfrey. I grinned at his retreating back, and then we all returned to rootling around in our various drawers.

The next day passed in a blur. I had spent the night in George's bed, so I slept much better. I also managed to spend most of the afternoon cramming myself with sweets and chocolate, so by the evening I was a _little _high on sugar.

The time arrived for mine, Fred and George's detention with Hagrid in the Forest. I bounced cheerfully down the steps to find two morose-looking twins standing in the common room, heads bowed dejectedly. I skipped over to them.

"What's up? Did you guys get hurt? Haven't you eaten anything? Are you wearing your rings? D'you think I should take mine off? I'm wearing my ring and my necklace but I took my bracelet off in case I lost it and now I wish I was wearing it and have you done that homework McGonagall set yet? I did it but I think I did it really badly because I got really distracted by all those sweets and now I think I might have had a _bit _too much sugar because I have a lot of energy and I keep getting distracted really easily and I hope my dad sends that book tomorrow because I've run out of things that I want to read and it looks really good but maybe he'll hate it and not let me read it and then I'll be all sad and I still don't know what's wrong with you guys because you're just standing there and doing nothing and you don't even have that _hint _of trouble that's normally _completely_ pulsing off you but now - "

Fred finally cut me off. "Shut the _fuck_ up!" he snapped, half irritated, half amused. I grinned and then started twitching from foot to foot.

Fred turned to mutter to George. "If this is her high on sugar, imagine her drunk!"

George laughed and their twinkle returned. I sighed in relief and then dragged them both through the portrait hole and quiet corridors and across the grounds until we reached the tiny hut.

"You the firs' years I'm to be givin' detention to?" Hagrid was waiting outside, and I jumped where I was walking sandwiched between the twins, our arms looped around each other's waists.

Fred nodded and Hagrid grinned.

"Like father like daughter, eh, Alyss?" he commented wryly and I beamed at him, bounding up to hug him, just because I felt like it. Before he could get over his shock and hug me back, I had pushed myself away, distracted once more, this time by the enormous dog panting patiently several feet behind Hagrid.

"A doggy!" I squealed and ran forward, throwing my arms around his neck.

"She's had maybe a _little _too much sugar this afternoon," George said by way of explanation.

"Careful, Alyss, Fang is a little aggressive …" Hagrid trailed off as Fang started to lick my face delightedly. I pushed him over – he was like a puppy – and started to scratch his tummy. He moaned in bliss, and I grinned.

"He's so cute!" I exclaimed, and Hagrid just stared, dumbstruck.

"Well, I've never seen 'im do that before!" Hagrid informed us, and I stood up. Fang rolled to his feet and went to stand at Hagrid's heels, butting me on the way past. He butted me so hard I fell over, but I didn't mind. I was dressed for getting dirty, my hair of course pulled back in a French plait. So I picked myself up, brushed a little of the mud off, and then followed Hagrid and the twins into the Forest. Fred and George shivered, pressing closer to me as we moved into the darkness under the trees. I smiled. I could see everything relatively clearly, and the Forest beckoned me inwards. I wandered a little aimlessly, only following Hagrid by chance, really. Then he stopped walking, and I kept going, walking straight past and not noticing.

Unfortunately, neither he nor the twins noticed either, because Hagrid was showing them the plant he wanted us to look for during our detention. I breezed on by, making my way deeper into the forest, the trees pressing closer together. Branches snatched at my hair and clothes, but what froze me in place was the sound of hoof beats. I glanced around and finally realised that I was alone. In fact, not alone, because a storm grey centaur stood at the edge of the clearing I was standing in.

"Um …" was all I managed. The centaur took a cautious step closer, speaking softly.

"I don't mean to harm you. I have never seen a human before, and I was curious when I heard you moving this way. Please, don't run."

She – for the voice proved that she was female – moved closer still, until we were barely five feet apart. She was very beautiful: long platinum blond hair fell shining to where her skin meshed with grey fur and covered the horse body, her face was heart-shaped, with large grey eyes staring intently at me. I blushed, and she did the same when she realised she'd been staring.

"I'm sorry …" she began, and I cut her off.

"No, don't be. I've never seen a centaur before either. I'm Alyss. It's nice to meet you." I held out my hand, tentatively stepping close enough to shake her hand. She returned the handshake firmly, if a little nervously.

"I am Nova." she replied. I let my hand drop and searched furiously for a topic of conversation as we stood in awkward silence.

"How old are you? I'm eleven," was the first thing I could think of, and she responded keenly.

"I'm eleven too! That's very fortuitous."

"Huh?" What the hell did she mean, fortuitous? What does that word even mean?

"It means lucky."

"Awesome."

"What does 'awesome' mean? I have never heard that word before." She seemed as puzzled as I had a couple of seconds before.

"Um, I guess it means cool, or … um … very good. I didn't realise centaurs had different words to us."

"I didn't realise humans had different words to _us_!" she replied, and we both grinned.

"So, what's it like in here? What do you do with all your time?" I enquired, sitting on a log. She trotted over to stand next to me, lying down, her legs curled up beneath her.

"My Uncle Firenze teaches me about the stars and planets. We look for food to eat, and I practise my running. Father says I should worry more about learning to attract a suitable mate, but running is much more fun. I used to race against my friend, Daegan, but then he had to leave."

"Why did he have to leave?" I enquired brightly and insensitively. Her face grew miserable.

"His family were 'too liberal' in their views for this herd. My father banished them. They used to try to talk to humans, and they would sing human songs, and try to dance like the humans, and help any who stumbled unwittingly into the forest."

Realising that I had strayed into unwelcome territory, I steered the conversation back to a safer topic. "So you like to race?"

"Yes, but I have no-one to race against now."

I jumped to my feet, seeing an opportunity to burn the sugar out of my system. "Do you want to race me?" I asked hopefully. She snorted, looking me up and down.

"There is no chance that you could beat me, with only two spindly legs."

"I'll bet I can. We'll race to the edge of the forest, okay? First one there has to do whatever forfeit the other can think of. Deal?"

She paused to consider, and then held her hand out again. "Deal." We shook on it, and then lined up at the edge of the clearing.

"Three," I said.

"Two," she continued.

"One!" We both shouted. I leaped into the air, changing forms mid-leap, landing and shooting forward. She paused in shock, so I took advantage of her distraction and moved my speed up a gear, at the same time settling into the steady pace that would allow me to keep going for hours. I would have to pray that my endurance would beat her speed. I heard her hooves go pounding past me on my right, and I sped up again, my tongue lolling out of my mouth. We shot past Hagrid, Fred and George in a clearing so fast they didn't even notice us, and then we both hit the forest again, desperately dodging trees and bushes. Her height was both advantage and disadvantage – she could leap more easily over the various logs and rocks strewn in her way, but her face was much more at risk from the sharp branches that grabbed at hair and skin.

I broke out of the Forest a second before her, and slid to a halt, panting massively. She also put on the brakes and then stood, legs shaking a little, arms hanging loosely by her sides. I flicked back into human form and grinned in delight at her. She groaned.

"You are the best I ever raced against. I'll beat you next time. Can all humans do that shape-shifting?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Just me. It's because my dad's a werewolf." For some reason, I had no problem telling her this, despite the fact that I kept it concealed from everyone else.

"Oh. I think I understand. So, what is my forfeit?" She asked, her brow furrowed. I noticed the gash on her cheek where a twig had caught her.

I grinned. "Twofold. First, you have to help me find my friends. Second, you have to promise that I can see you again."

She didn't stop to think. "Sure. Let's go." We started walking back into the Forbidden Forest, sharing random snippets of information from our separate lives as we walked. After much pressing, she sang a centaur song for me. It was a lullaby, and very beautiful. Then she begged me to sing a human song for her, so I thought hard and eventually decided on one of my favourites.

"It's called There You'll Be. Okay, here goes." I sang it as we walked, and she seemed to enjoy it, despite my appalling singing. As soon as I picked up voices in the near distance, she stopped.

"I cannot be seen. If my father finds out, he'll kill me."

I nodded my understanding. "Can you be around tomorrow evening? I have detention again then."

She grinned. "I understand 'detention.' We get a lot of humans complaining loudly about that as they walk."

I laughed. "I expect you'll see me a lot. Whenever I'm in here I'll tell you by doing this:" I switched forms and threw back my head, letting a long, wailing howl escape. Then I changed again and hugged her. She bowed at the waist so she could reach me better. I beamed at her, and then bounded off in the direction of Fred, George and Hagrid's voices.

"No panic, I'm here!" I yelled, leaping into their path and hugging George, who was closest.

"If you _ever _run off while I'm lookin' after you, Alyss, you won' live to regret it, understan'?" Hagrid roared, absolutely apoplectic. I shrugged.

"I like this forest. It's so mysterious." I explained, refusing to be bowed into submission. Hagrid put his massive head in his hands, and Fred hugged me too.

"Don't _do _that, Alyss. We were shit-scared that you'd been eaten by something!"

I shrugged again. "Can we go back to school now?" I pleaded, feeling tired now that I had run out of sugar. Hagrid rolled his eyes and began to lead us back to school. It was very boring walking over ground that I had run over just minutes before. I picked up a stick off the ground and began to swing it, but then it blinked and bit me.

"What the fuck?" I shrieked loudly, and Hagrid motioned to me to keep my voice down. I watched in half-amused horror as the stick ran off into the undergrowth. Fred was laughing openly at me, despite Hagrid's constant pleas to keep quiet. I heard a thundering of much heavier hooves than Nova's, and stopped beating up Fred as we were surrounded by what had to be Nova's herd. I could see her in the background, hidden well behind a palomino centaur that looked similar enough to be her mother. I studied the rest of the herd with considerable interest – they were big enough to be properly scary, so I moved to stand closer to Hagrid. Besides, all the males were holding bows with arrows already strung.

"Hagrid. What are you doing this time?" A chestnut centaur spoke in a deep, rumbling voice. I swung to face him at the same time Hagrid did, winking fleetingly in Nova's general direction. She pawed the ground in response, and her mother turned to shush her. I gazed at the chestnut centaur. He was really beautiful, his coat gleaming, and his face was very proud and handsome.

"Ralthorn," Hagrid said, nodding at him. The centaur shifted his weight, and beckoned a slightly younger-looking centaur forward. "This is Ronan," Ralthorn continued, clapping the other centaur's shoulder soundly. "He will be taking over the herd from me soon."

Hagrid nodded again, acknowledging the centaur's words. I frowned. Nova hadn't said anything about that to me.

"You have foals with you today, Hagrid. You should hurry. There is a spreading darkness in this forest that not even we truly understand. I suggest you limit your visits."

"I will at that, Ralthorn. Thanks fer the tip. Be seeing you," Hagrid said, pushing aside several centaurs and beckoning us behind him. I secretly high-fived Nova on my way past. It took us a further fifteen minutes to reach the edge of the forest. I gazed back over my shoulder at it as we walked away, back up to the castle. There was something about it that _beckoned _me, begging me to slip back under the shadows of the trees. I felt myself turn: it was like I had no control over my body. I took a step back towards it but Hagrid clasped strong arms around me and lifted me up, me protesting angrily.

"Don't you go insultin' me, young lady. I can see in your eyes that it's pullin' you in. Yer father was the same. Don' let it! You migh' never come back out."

I shivered. Hagrid, recognising my understanding of the danger, set me down on the grass. Fred grinned at me. "Freaky weirdo gets all spooky at sight of dangerous, magic forest. Congratulations, Lupe, you've just ticked off the first box on the 'Is she mad?' list."

I leapt at him, doing a quite passable rugby tackle on his legs, knocking him to the floor. He rolled me over, pinning me down, and I pulled my wand out and jabbed him in the kidneys. He let go with an exclamation of pain and I hurriedly clambered to my feet. George stepped in between us and I wiped my face, smearing the mud further, and started to laugh. I helped Fred to his feet, muttering "one-nil to me" under my breath. He frowned and I could see his brain begin to work frantically as he figured out the best way to get revenge. I would have to be on my guard from now on.

Hagrid sighed exasperatedly and hustled us all up to the castle, dropping us off at the door.

"Righ', go straight to yer common room, okay? See yer tomorrow nigh'."

"Bye Hagrid!" I called after his retreating back, waving even though he couldn't see me.

"Come on, Loopy, let's get to bed." George said, hooking an arm through mine and dragging me upstairs.

The rest of the first term passed in a blur, and before I knew it it was time to go home for Christmas. Fred and George were going home too, to spend some quality time with their family. Keira was coming to stay with me, as I'd promised her a swim with the dolphins. I just prayed that my dad knew a good warming-up spell or something.

I took one of the flyers handed out by the prefects that warned us not to use magic outside school. I grumbled absently, shoving my trunk up onto the train with difficulty and then yanking it down the corridor.

"In here, Lupe," I heard Fred call, and turned to see him leaning up against the door to a compartment. It was pretty full already, with George, Lee, Keira, Zoe and Isobel all snuggled in together. I bullied the boys into getting my trunk onto the luggage rack, then scrumpled up the flyer and lit it on fire with my wand.

"Nice," Lee said, sitting back down. I wrapped my scarf tighter around my neck and sat down in between Fred and George. I had just gotten comfy against George when Ben entered and we had to budge up again. I mumbled crossly and shuffled along the seat, resuming my position curled up against George with my head against his chest. He put his arms around me nice and tight and I smiled.

"So, how many detentions did we get this term?" Fred enquired brightly next to me. George grinned hugely.

"Well, together you and I got just over fifty. With Lupe we got forty-four, with Lee thirty-two, and as a house – not including Angelina and Alicia - we got twelve."

They high-fived each other. Keira smiled indulgently at us all. She was turning out to be quite a mother-figure, turfing us out of bed in the mornings and everything. I heard yelling on the platform, and then the train started puffing and chugged forward, slowly at first, but picking up speed. With eight of us in a compartment designed for six maximum it was a _little _snug. Fred was so squished that he wriggled dreadfully. I told him to sit still several times but he wouldn't, so I complained hotly one last time and then sat on the floor. George chucked his robe down to me – don't ask why he was still wearing it – and I wrapped it around myself.

"Thanks," I said. There was a comfortable silence for a while as we raced past dark hills and through a rainstorm, then Fred burped loudly.

"Ew, gross!"

"Yuck, dude!"

"Keep it in!"

"Sorry," Fred said, not looking at all apologetic. George high-fived him while I watched in disgust.

"That was sick," I informed Fred, and he shoved me gently with his foot. I batted it away.

"Stop that!" I told him crossly. He did it again. And again, and again, ignoring my increasing insults. Finally, he did it one last time, and I grabbed his leg in an arm lock, wrestled his shoe from his foot and then abandoned George's cloak, almost falling out of the compartment. I heard Fred get to his feet quickly behind me so I shot off down the train, clutching his shoe like a rugby ball under my arm. I heard him behind me, so I increased my speed.

"Give it back!" Fred yelled at me. I glanced over my shoulder to shout back, and slammed hard into someone as they stepped out of their compartment. I bounced back, falling to the floor and dropping the shoe, and banged my head on the floor. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and clutched my head, swearing under my breath.

"Alyss! I'm so sorry, are you alright?"

I recognised Cedric's voice and groaned inwardly. This was the third time I'd run into him like that this term, and I still had the bruise up my leg from the last time. On the outside, I flashed him my brightest smile.

"Fine thanks. Hey, could you do me a favour?" I could hear Fred getting closer. I shoved his shoe into Cedric's hands.

"Hide this?" I pleaded. He gave me an odd look.

"Um … sure, I guess." He took it and ultra-casually lobbed it into the carriage he'd just left. When Fred arrived Cedric was helping me to my feet.

"Okay, where is it?" he demanded furiously. I shrugged and tried my best innocent look. He stormed past us into the compartment, yelled and then reappeared holding the shoe. He advanced menacingly on me. I said a hurried goodbye to Cedric and set off down the train at a sprint. Fred chased me yet again, and I stumbled into our compartment. No-one looked particularly surprised: Fred and I had been winding each other up like this all term. I was breathless, but I quickly stepped up onto the seat, then onto Ben's shoulder, and up into the luggage rack. I pulled the trunks around to hide me without making it obvious that they'd moved, and crouched still, utterly frozen in place, but unable to prevent a self-satisfied smirk forming across my lips.

I heard Fred storm back into the compartment and forced down a chuckle as he started ranting.

"And then she has the sheer _cheek _to get Diggory involved!"

Everyone else laughed: Fred had some sort of animosity thing going on with Cedric that no-one except he understood, and he wouldn't explain.

"And I _know _she's in here, and I'm going to _kill_ her when I find out. Alyss! Come and face me like a man!"

I made no response – if he had said woman I might have.

"Face me like a _wolf _then!"

Ooh, that did it! I launched myself in a spectacular leap of fury from my hiding place, holding my shape with only the supremest of efforts. His face registered shock before I crashed into him, knocking him back onto Ben and Daniel. Keira, Zoe, Isobel and George all held me back as I kept up a raging torrent of abuse.

"You utter _turd_, you insolent – lemme go, idiots – prick, you don't have any idea, you never think about – I said _let go_ – anyone but yourself, you're a stupid waste of space and you need to go get a life! What is your problem? Can't you for once just – stop holding me back – I'm gonna beat you up so bad and then you'll really regret ever saying – get your hand off my mouth!"

The last part was muffled because George had clamped a strong hand across my face, cutting me off and reducing me to glares. Fred had sat down on the seat and was openly laughing now. I felt my temper release me and my anger receded. I shrugged off the restraining hands and started to laugh too. Although my anger is quick to arrive, it's also very quick to recede, usually leaving me feeling pretty guilty about whatever I've just done. Now I was regretting the leap, because I could tell I would have a nice bruise on my chest, just to add to the hundreds of others scattered all over me. Anyone would think that I got into hundreds of fights, when in fact I often just walk into things or fall. I would actually attribute about forty-five per cent of my bruises to clumsiness, and the other fifty-five per cent to Fred.

I sat down on the seat next to Fred, and we were both shaking with laughter. Everyone else sat down warily, which just made us laugh harder.

"Mood swings, much?" Isobel said with a grin. I was still laughing, and I had no idea why, but Fred was too and every time I was about to stop he'd make me start again. George sighed and pulled out his pack of cards.

"Me!" I shouted and sat down on the floor with George so we could play exploding snap. I crushed him the first time round, but he got me back in the two following rounds. I conceded a reluctant defeat and sat back on the seat as Lee took my place.

The rest of the journey was pretty uneventful, apart from a bet I had with Lee and Ben as to who could fit more Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans in their mouth at once. Ben won by sheer fluke, because Lee got a Vomit flavoured one and spat all his out, and I have a very small mouth. I was pulling down the front of my top to examine the huge bruise I had forming on the top of my chest from my leap at Fred when we pulled into King's Cross. As the train drew to a halt I made Fred and George get my trunk down for me, waited to make sure Keira was following me, then made my way off the train. I hugged everyone goodbye, then searched for my dad. Despite my keen eyesight, I couldn't see him anywhere.

Then, I heard him calling.

"Alyss!"

"Dad!" I yelled back, and abandoning my trunk I leapt to him to give him a huge hug. He swung me round and squeezed me tight to him.

"I missed you so much," he murmured into my ear. I patted his cheek.

"Me too, daddy. But you have to meet Keira now!" and with that, I jumped down from his arms and tugged Keira forward. She stood looking at her feet, and said "hello" rather shyly.

"Daddy, this is Keira. Keira, this is my dad, Remus."

"It's nice to meet you, Keira," my dad said, taking her hand and shaking it. She smiled.

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Right then, you two, let's get back to the car and go home!" my dad told us, and we picked up our trunks to lug over to the car. Bucket was perched in his cage on top of my trunk, looking around with considerable interest. I chuckled at him as we made our way through the barrier and out to the car park. Dad put all the suitcases and trunks and things in the boot and then Keira and I climbed into the back while he got in the front and started the car.

"The traffic's appalling, Alyss, so it might take us a while to get home." He said, twisting round in his seat.

"That's fine, we can tell you all about everything at school!"

With that, Keira and I started to recount in detail the happenings at school, carefully avoiding mention of the hours we had spent in detention.

It took forever, but we eventually rolled up at home. I exploded from the car in delight and pounded up to the front door, bashing through it thanks to my dad's hurried unlocking spell from the car, and raced right through and out the back. Then I ran back in and upstairs. My bedroom was very tidy, and there was an extra bed set up for Keira next to mine.

I shot back out to the car and grabbed my trunk off my dad.

"C'mon, Ki, let's go swimming!" I shouted in delight, and my dad helped us levitate the trunks upstairs. Then he left us to it and made his way down to the beach with what looked like a strong drink. I watched him go from the window and smiled. I had definitely returned more hyperactive than when I left. But then I turned to struggle into my swimming costume, and Keira did the same.

"I like your house and your dad," she informed me with a smile. I beamed back.

"Good! Wait 'til you meet the dolphins. They know we're back, I made my dad tell them the day."

"And they understand that?"

"No, but he arranged some sort of signal with them." As I spoke, a flash of orange lit up the beach, and I grinned wider. "C'mon, that's our cue."

I tugged her downstairs and over the field to the steps cut it the side of the cliff, the evening air freezing against our skin. However, the difficult climb down warmed us up a little, and then we reached the sandy beach. My dad was lying in a deckchair with sunglasses on against the huge orange sun that was sinking very slowly towards the horizon.

"Hold on, girls," he said and stood up, pulling out his wand. He muttered a quick spell, and I felt myself warm up instantly.

"Thanks dad!" I exclaimed, then shot over the sand towards the surf. The water lapped around my ankles as I hit the sea, then my calves, and then as it reached my belly a dolphin swam up between my legs. I grabbed onto her dorsal fin and was towed in a glorious splash of speed over the surface of the water. I whooped with delight and raised a hand in the air, then moved it down to pat the dolphin.

"Hey, Gabi!" I shouted to be heard over the sea, and she stopped, raising her head above the waves and clicking at me. I could just about tell the difference between them all, and now four or five others were circling me, wanting their turn. Across the water a little I could see the same process being mimicked by the dolphins around Keira. She had the biggest smile I had ever seen plastered over her face. I grinned and grabbed onto two fins. They pulled me fast through the water. It was the most amazing feeling.

After swimming with the dolphins for about two hours it was dinner time, then shower time, then bed time. I was exhausted and fell into bed without a second thought.

This process repeated itself throughout the week that Keira was with us, then her parents pitched up to collect her and it was just me and my dad. Christmas was cold, but it was great fun and I got iPod speakers!

We were snuggled up watching a movie when suddenly my dad started shaking all over. I took one look at him then ran to the window.

"Shit!" I ground out, then, taking his arm, dragged him to the door and out into the night, and the light of the full moon. "Shit, shit, shit," I muttered again and again. Then I pulled the door shut behind us and grabbed his wand, locked the door, chucked his wand into a bush and transformed. He was almost fully changed now, and I waited, tense as a coiled spring for him to become fully aware of himself. He stood up on all four paws and scented the air, then threw back his head and howled. Then he turned to run in the direction of the village. I snarled, shouting _No way! _In my head.

Then I leapt at him, bowling him over completely. Because I was still young, I was about two thirds of his size only, but I had taken him by surprise. He hurried back to his feet and turned to growl at me. I changed tack, whining at him, begging him to listen to me, to come down to the beach and curl up out of the way of temptation. On the beach, the wind washed away all scent of humans, and the dolphins fortunately had the good sense to stay well away.

His dark amber eyes gazed at me as I pleaded, then he seemed to reach a decision in his twisted little brain and trotted off towards the beach. I heaved a sigh of relief and followed, nipping at his heels whenever he tried to turn back. He got angry at that once and whirled to lash out at me. I didn't duck out of the way in time, and he caught my cheek. I felt it tear, but I ignored the pain and snarled. He looked suitably contrite and then carried on walking. We made it to the beach steps. He swung down them like he was flying, but I fell twice and landed heavily at the bottom, temporarily winding myself. I groaned once I got my breath back and picked myself up off the sand. My dad was sitting watching me with what looked like a _smirk _on his face. I growled fiercely, and he coughed out a lupine laugh. I bayed in his face then leapt at him. We tumbled in a mess of fur, but he was reluctant to hurt me, and I only managed to get a couple a snatches at his back.

I drew back, trying to spit fur out of my mouth, and he curled up under a projection of rock. I sighed and padded over to curl up next to him, laying my head on my paws and curling my tail around myself.

What an end to Christmas.


	11. Bruised

"**Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight." – Lt. James Gordon, The Dark Knight.**

When I woke up the next morning, weak sunlight was streaming over my face and my dad was sitting down by the surf, human, looking distraught. I struggled to my feet, stiff from my exertions, and padded down to join him. I stayed carefully a few feet away: sometimes he remained extremely cranky the day after, and it looked like today was going to be one of those days.

I whined softly, and he turned to face me.

"You can turn back now, Alyss, it's all gone."

I shook my head and planted my butt on the sand, refusing to go a step closer. There was a slight madness in his eyes, and I was too wise to get dragged in.

"How well you know me," he muttered and turned back to face the sunrise. I threw my head back to welcome the cool breeze that blew in from the sea. Far out, way beyond the natural harbour that our little bay formed, a dolphin leaped high above the waves.

The wind played around my face and I let my tongue loll out. Then I stood up and stretched hugely, feeling all my muscles relax slightly. I groaned as I felt a knot in my back, knowing that it would take a good deal of time before I could work that one out. I grumbled to myself as my dad continued to stare out silently at the water, then gave up and made my painful way up the stairs, careful not to slip. Once I reached the headland I shook myself and padded up to the house. I fished around for my dad's wand, then jumped through the open window at the back, the wand in my mouth. I stood on my back legs to place the wand on the side in the kitchen, and then made my slow way upstairs, leaving muddy footprints up the staircase. I changed forms outside my bedroom door, then went inside. I went over to the mirror and looked at myself.

I looked awful. My eyes had deep purple rings under them, my skin was so pale I looked albino, and my hair was everywhere. It had escaped from the plait, and it hung about my face in wild dark brown strands, twisting and curling slightly. There was sand all over me, crusted onto my clothes. I turned round and pulled my top off. I had two massive cuts down my back, plus several dark purple bruises that all combined to make my back look awful. I twisted my arm to reach it and pressed lightly, and the pressure set my back on fire. Looked like I would be sleeping on my front for the next couple of weeks while those faded.

The thing that bothered me most though was the deep slash down my cheek, about two inches long. As I watched, a trickle of blood oozed down my face from it. If I had sustained it last night it ought to have clotted. It looked deep, and it was painful and hot when I raised a finger to touch it. I pulled my top back on and hurried downstairs. My dad wouldn't want to be bothered for the next few hours, and I wasn't willing to let the cut fester for any longer.

So I scribbled a hurried note to my dad, pinned it to the fridge and grabbed some floo powder from the pot on the mantelpiece.

"The Burrow!" I shouted, and the emerald flames sucked me in. I shut my eyes against the soot and the spinning and the agony when any part of my bruised body hit the wall. Eventually I was thrown out onto a wooden floor.

"Alyss?" A shocked voice reached my ears, and then arms were lifting me up. "Christ, you look awful! Mum! Alyss is here and she's all beat up!"

It was Charlie, I realised, as he carried me over to the sofa in the corner of the room.

"Thanks," I said, struggling to get down.

"No chance," he responded as I heard footsteps come hurriedly down the stairs. "You look like crap."

I stopped fighting. "I _feel_ like crap," I told him honestly.

"Alyss! What _happened _to you?" Mrs Weasley's worried voice was the next thing to penetrate my awareness, and then she was leaning over me, anxiousness written all over her. Charlie also leant over, and I didn't know if either of them knew about my dad.

"Um … I fell?" I tried hopefully, but neither of them bought it.

"Alyss, you don't get slashes like that from falling!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed, and Charlie shook his head.

"But you get bruises, right?" I said, and rolled painfully over, pulling the back of my top up to reveal my back. I usually don't go for sympathy, but it was _killing _me, and I was willing to try anything to make the pain stop.

All I heard were two shocked gasps. Then Mrs Weasley regained her composure.

"Charlie, go get that pot of purple stuff from my bedroom."

Charlie shot off, and Mrs Weasley bustled off to find cloths. I hoped whatever she was planning wouldn't take too long, so I could get home before my dad realised I was missing. After all, I had brought all this on myself, first by following my dad, then by being clumsy, and then by coming here. I regretted that choice, but pain was clouding my head and I wanted it to stop. Mrs Weasley came back over before Charlie returned.

"Was it your dad, Alyss?" She asked in a low voice, and I shut my eyes, not wanting to betray him.

"No," I said, then opened my eyes to find her looking sceptical. "It's my fault. We weren't ready for the full moon and I didn't have time to get him into the garage so I had to just push him outside and then fight him down onto the beach. The beach calms him down and he usually just goes to sleep, but I fell down the stairs a couple of times, and he laughed at me, so I fought him a little, and then we both fell asleep."

"So it was your father." Her voice was hard, and I shut my eyes again.

"Don't be mad at him, he can't help it."

"From now on, you can come and stay with us on full moons."

I tried to push myself up to a sitting position to argue the point, but she held me down.

"No, don't move, I don't want those scabs breaking."

"But if I come here I'll need an excuse! And my dad can't be left by himself, he might get hurt. He needs me there."

"Alyss, if this is the way he repays you for looking after him, you shouldn't have to."

"He can't _help_ it, Mrs Weasley! It's not something he chooses! If you're just going to tell me off and be mean about him I'm leaving."

I slid off the sofa and onto my feet, unable to stop a hiss of pain escaping my lips as I dashed over to the fireplace. I had grabbed some floo powder and was about to hurl it into the flames when strong arms grabbed me and pulled me to them. I sobbed as the pressure on my back caused unbearable pain.

"Alyss? What happened to you? You've never been beat up _this _bad, not even by me!"

It was Fred. I knew he wouldn't question me, so I turned into him and cried. He froze, and I heard him whisper to someone, "What do I do now?"

The someone whispered back, "Hug her, fool. But don't pat her back, it's painful."

He encircled me with his arms, careful not to put too much pressure on me. I buried my face in his chest and he drew me carefully back over to the sofa. I wouldn't let go of him when he tried to hand me over to his mother, so instead Mrs Weasley lifted my top up at the back and started to apply a cooling salve to the painful bruises. Fred whistled.

"Woah, Alyss, those are _impressive_! Did you fall down the stairs again?"

I gulped down my next tears and moved my face to smile up at him.

"You have _no _idea," I told him, blinking away my remaining tears. He grinned down at me, and then Mrs Weasley finished.

"Right, that's your back done. Turn around so I can deal with that cut on your face."

I obliged, letting go of Fred, who looked slightly relieved. She pulled out a wet cloth and started bathing the cut. The cold water felt good against it, but it stung like hell, even more so when she put some sort of lotion on it.

"It's going to scar, I'm afraid. I can't do anything about that."

I nodded. "Thanks, Mrs Weasley. I'm sorry I woke everyone up."

"That's fine. And you didn't wake everyone up. Charlie and I were up already, and Charlie woke Fred up. It's lucky he did, I hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't treated all that."

I grinned, and went to sit down at the table. "So, what's for breakfast?" I enquired brightly, and Fred laughed, coming to sit by me.

"Full English Breakfast!" he replied excitedly, and I grinned.

"I picked a good day to get beat up then!"

"I thought you didn't eat heavy breakfasts?"

"I need one this morning. Hey, why are you staring at me?"

He was gazing at me, looking puzzled.

"I've never seen you with your hair down before. It's nice."

I blushed. "Thanks," I replied, and then turned my attention to the food Mrs Weasley was putting down on the table.

They tried to persuade me to stay for lunch, but I declined as politely as I could.

"I need to get back to my dad, he's probably really worried. And aren't you all coming to lunch with us in three days anyway?"

Mrs Weasley had to concede that, and I smiled.

"See you soon," I said, and then jumped into the fire. My back was pleasantly numbed for now, and I was clutching two pots; one was for my back and the other for the cut on my cheek.

I stumbled out onto the hearth-rug in our sitting room, and picked myself up to see my dad sitting on one of the sofas. I dusted the soot off myself and ignored him, going in to the kitchen. He followed me silently. Once I had shut the pots carefully in a cupboard I turned to face him.

"So?" I began, and he frowned.

"You shouldn't have run off to the Weasleys, Alyss. I was very worried about you."

I snorted. "Yeah, because the Weasleys are going to kidnap me and force me to be their slave forever. I just went so Mrs Weasley could help me with my back."

"What's wrong with your back?" he asked, looking cross. I let a smug smile flash across my face before I controlled it.

"This," I said, turning and pulling my top up yet again. He drew in a breath sharply, and his next words were low and pained.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry … I can't believe I did that to you."

He moved closer and ran a soft hand over the blackness on my skin, and traced the cuts. I shrugged and pulled the top back down.

"Actually only the cuts are your fault. I fell down the stairs on the beach a couple of times to get the bruises. And I can't feel them anymore anyway, thanks to Mrs Weasley."

He didn't reply, but moved a hand to try and touch the rip on my cheek. I batted his hand away.

"You can't touch that one, because it _hurts_. A lot."

He put his head in his hands and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. I didn't feel like trying to pull him out of his pit of misery today, so I headed upstairs and changed into a loose-fitting bikini that didn't rub at all. I grabbed a towel and made my way

downstairs.

"I'm going for a swim, 'kay? Mrs Weasley said it would be good for me."

He didn't reply, so I shrugged and set off at a run for the headland. I reached the stairs and descended slowly and carefully, then flung my towel down, ignoring the bite of the freezing winter air, and plunged into the water. It was agony as the water reached further and further up my legs, licking at small scratches, and I thought I would explode when my back went under. But the dolphins surrounded me and two of them supported me as I waited for the pain to recede. When it eventually did, I started to shiver.

"C'mon you guys, I'll race you to the open water!" I called to the pod surrounding me, and they all set off. I front crawled wildly for a few moments, then Gabi came up to me. I snatched at her fin gratefully, and she tugged me through the water. It was the most amazing feeling, like flying. We didn't win, but the exertion warmed me a little. My head was plastered flat to my head, and it floated in the water around me. I swirled in the deep water, never having worn my hair down to go swimming before. It twisted and writhed around me, flowing gracefully under the water. A thought hit me, and I took a deep breath, ducking under the surface.

Dolphin bodies brushed all around me, and I forced my eyes to stay open despite the sting of the salt. I pulled myself through the water, and my hair streamed out behind me like seaweed, rippling as I moved. It delighted me, and I twirled under the water several times before the need for air became too much and I broke the surface of the water. Excited clickings surrounded me and I grinned, taking hold of another fin.

My dad wallowed for three days and I ignored him for most of it. Then the Weasleys came round. It took us all day to cook, but I took everyone except Percy swimming with the dolphins. I couldn't quite decide which group was more pleased.

Then, all too soon, it was time for school again. We pitched up at the station with all my paraphernalia, and I hugged my dad goodbye fiercely. It was a mark of how hard I fell that my back was still painful, and the bruises were still there, but faint, against my skin. The cut down my cheek only started to clot a couple of days before it was time for the return to school.

I found an empty compartment as I was the first to arrive, and leant out the window to seek out my friends. Zoe and Daniel arrived first, and I gave them both huge hugs, and we settled down to discuss our holidays. The others arrived gradually, all piling in. Fred and George were late, of course, and only just managed to get on before the train started moving. We all jostled at the windows to wave goodbye to our parents. Then the train pulled out of the station, and the term began.

It was Easter before I realised it. The holidays passed in a blur, and then it was time to get back to school and study for exams. I battled through them, gaining average passes in all my subjects apart from potions, which I just managed to scrape. I think all my passes were pretty much due to Fred and George's coaching, which I begged and begged for.

I stayed with the Weasley's for two weeks in the summer, then went home. I had Zoe, Isobel and Keira over for a few days, and a major fight with my dad when he got the letter informing him that I had managed to collate over a ninety detentions, mostly with Fred and George.

Then second year came, and whizzed by. It went faster because I was dreading my third year, when lessons got heavier. I did everything I could to make it go slower, but nothing could make time do anything other than what it always does.

But the reason why I was shaking when I got onto platform 9¾ was not dread at the workload, but excitement. My eyes scanned the jostling crowd for black hair, green eyes and a lightening-bolt scar. Nothing. Fred and George shot over as soon as they saw me, and hefted me, whooping, into a massive hug.

"Guys, it's been three weeks since we saw each other!"

"I know! THREE weeks!" Fred yelled, and we got odd stares as we danced around a little. Then their voices dropped dramatically.

"Guess who we just saw?"

I obligingly lowered my voice to match Fred's tone. He was now truly established as a ladies' man, and it made me laugh when he went on about all the girls he saw and flirted with. I flashed a look at George from under my lashes, and he beamed at me. I paid closer attention to what Fred was about to say. If George was that excited, it had to be something good.

"Who?"

"Only _Harry Potter_!"

I screamed. Yes, I screamed. In the middle of a crowded station, I screamed. I got many, many heads staring at me. My dad grabbed at my arm.

"Alyss, you can't just run up to him," he told me in a low, urgent voice. I pouted up at him, and he released my arm. "He doesn't know you exist, and if he finds out that he has godparents it'll make his life with the muggles he lives with now even worse."

I screwed my face up in anger, but he shook his head.

"Alyss, I'm not willing to debate this."

"Why not?! He'll be really happy to know I'm here!"

I noticed that Fred and George had sidled off. They were good at smelling impending family warfare, and usually absented themselves before the storm broke. I raised an eyebrow at my dad. He frowned.

"No, he won't! How would you like it if a complete stranger danced up to you and claimed to be your godsister?"

"That wouldn't happen because _I don't have a godsister!_"

"The principle is still there. You will _not _go and say hello to him!"

"Because you forbidding me has _so _stopped me doing things before!"

"I mean it, Alyss. Don't. This is more important than anything you have _ever _been told before."

I scowled furiously. "You'll regret this," I told him harshly, knowing that I would obey him. I would find something else forbidden to do instead. Then I pulled myself away, noted that Fred and George had put my trunk on the train already, and stalked up to the doorway. I didn't look back once over my shoulder.

I marched into our compartment and sat down with my arms crossed furiously. Everyone else was already crowded in, as usual, and Fred and George appeared in the doorway a couple of minutes later as the train had just set off.

"So, let's see that tarantula, Lee!" Fred said and sat down next to him. Lee pulled out a tin. Isobel, Keira and I screamed hugely and shot out of the compartment. All I heard as we left was Zoe say, "That's awesome, Lee! Let's chase them with it."

We were leant against the outside of the carriage in the corridor that ran the whole length of the train. Isobel and Keira jumped as the door banged open, and I froze, my usual reaction to stress. Then we screamed again and sprinted down the corridor.

"Come back, girlies!" Lee called and Fred caught Keira around the waist. Ben grabbed Isobel and held her tight, which left George to catch me. I snorted. He hadn't a chance in hell. The only person out of our whole group that stood a chance of catching me was Fred, and he was now holding Keira.

So I turned to run, and bashed hard into someone. Again. To my horror, when I looked up, it was to find Cedric's handsome grey eyes staring intently into mine, his hand rubbing absently at his chest where I had smashed into him. I gasped in dismay. Not only was this about the millionth time I had almost run him down, during the past six months I had developed a _little _crush on him. C'mon, he's _gorgeous_! He extended a hand down, and pulled me to my feet. I knew the drill now.

"We always seem to run into each other," he joked as I dusted myself off. Then George grabbed me. I wrenched myself from his grasp and hid behind Cedric. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at me. I put my hand on his back.

"Be my knight in shining armour?" I begged as George advanced on me. He grinned charmingly and whipped back round to face George.

"Back off, buddy," he said, crossing his arms. Behind George, Fred abandoned Keira and stalked up to face Cedric. They were roughly the same height as each other, and I took a step back. They really didn't like each other, and I still have no idea why. I needed something to diffuse the rapidly worsening situation. My plait swung over my shoulder and Keira hurried up to me, sliding past the two antagonists.

"Alyss, take your hair down. You know Fred gets distracted by pretty girls, and Cedric _certainly _does, and if you let your hair down you'll look really good and distract them!"

"I can't, Ki! If I take it down I'll look like my mother!"

"Good, she's beautiful!"

With a sigh, I realised that if I didn't do _something _there would likely be a fight. So I tugged the band out of my hair and pulled the plait out. Keira dragged my fringe over, and I flipped it, feeling like an idiot.

"Flirt like hell!" Keira encouraged, and pushed me forwards. "If only you hadn't worn one of your stupid thick jumpers today," she complained, and I gave her the finger behind my back. She laughed. I walked up and forced myself in between Cedric and Fred, putting a hand on either of their chests.

"Guys, cut it out," I ordered, trying to push them apart. They ignored me for a second, then Fred glanced down.

"Hey, you look really pretty!" he exclaimed, and I threw my head back in despair. I peeked up at Cedric through my lashes and he was gazing down at me. I turned back to Fred, putting my back to Cedric and facing Fred full on. I put both hands on his chest.

"Back off, Fred. I swear, if you keep being rude to Cedric when he's not doing anything wrong I'll make you regret it!"

"He _was _doing something wrong!" Fred countered, his glare snapping back up to meet Cedric's. I sighed.

"No, Fred, he was just helping me like friends do. And so help me if you still want to be my friend you'll go _away_!"

"Make me," Fred challenged, and I threw daggers at him for a second then turned to Cedric.

"Hey, Cedric, do you have a compartment?"

He nodded, his face immobile. I smiled.

"Good, let's go to it. Fred needs to learn a lesson."

I took his hand and tugged him back away from Fred, who glared at me. I tossed my head in dismissal. He stood staring after us as we made our way down the train. I was muttering angrily to myself as we walked down the corridor, but I shut up and pulled Cedric to a halt when I saw a sneering blond boy march out of a compartment in which a black-haired, green-eyed boy sat glaring opposite Ron. I recognised him in an instant. I felt tears come into my eyes and blinked them away angrily. I stood for a minute drinking in the sight of him, and it took every ounce of strength in my body to stop myself running and pulling him into a massive hug.

But he looked upset, I noticed as I gazed at him. There was fury written all over him as he watched the blond back out of his compartment. I grinned. If I couldn't talk to him directly, I could help him without him knowing. So I strolled casually past the compartment he was sitting in, Cedric following looking slightly bemused. I hurried up once I was out of Ron's eyesight, and grabbed the back of the robes of the blond, who looked a lot like a ferret. He spun in fury, and I grabbed the neck of his top and hauled him off his feet. My voice was icy when I spoke.

"_What _do you think you are doing?" I enquired in a hiss.

"Alyss, what - " Cedric was completely confused. I flashed him a smile over my shoulder.

"I hate bullies. They need to be stopped at the beginning, before they can cause harm," I told him, turning back to glare at the ferret-lookalike it front of me. His thuggish-looking friends looked wiser than to tangle with an obviously pissed-off thirteen year old girl, despite the fact that they were only about three quarters of a foot shorter than me. Plus, the fact that Cedric was standing behind me might have helped. Cedric was very well-built, thanks to a year of quidditch, and I think ferret-boy realised that.

"I was just trying to make friends!" he defended himself hastily. I smirked.

"Oh, really? So why was Harry looking so annoyed?" I asked him. He didn't have an answer to that. "I suggest that, if you don't want to find yourself in a _very _compromising situation, you leave him alone."

Ferret-boy nodded, looking suitably terrified, so I dropped him and watched him scurry off with considerable satisfaction. I turned round to Cedric to find him looked both scared and amused.

"You hate bullies a lot," he commented. I grinned up at him.

"You have no idea," I told him honestly, and he led me the rest of the way to his compartment. There were four other Hufflepuffs sitting there, and I recognised two of them from our History of Magic classes.

"Hi Rebecca, Gordon," I said with a smile. They greeted me back, looking slightly apprehensive.

"Don't worry, I'm just here with Cedric. Fred and George aren't waiting to play a trick on you," I promised heartily, and they looked relieved. I didn't recognise the other two, but then I always fell asleep about two minutes into History of Magic, so I didn't beat myself up.

I took a seat and Cedric sat down next to me. There was an awkward silence for several minutes, but then a conversation about the new term began, and I joined in cheerfully, carefully holding back the several choice plans Fred, George and I had come up with over the summer.

I still wasn't talking to Fred by the time we got off the train, and when I ended up in a carriage with him, Keira and George, I carefully ignored him and talked to Keira about girl stuff that neither boy had any idea how to respond to. We chatted quite happily the whole way up to the castle. Fred was staring at me the whole time, looking crushed, and I ignored him. We took our seats at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, and our chatter was only stopped by the Sorting. I listened impatiently to the hat's song, and then waited with bated breath for Harry to come up, but we had to wait for a load of others first. One made me laugh, because she had spectacularly bushy hair and she practically _ran _to the hat and jumped onto the stool. Keira asked me in a low voice why I was trying so hard not to laugh, and so I told her the voices in my head had told me a joke. She just rolled her eyes.

I controlled my smiles as I waited. More children passed, and then the one that I was waiting for came.

"Potter, Harry."

Instant hush descended over the Hall. Bored conversations that had started stopped. I held my breath as a storm of whispering broke out.

"Is that really Harry Potter?" Zoe asked, leaning in close to watch. I rolled my eyes.

"No duh," I told her, then waited anxiously. It took a while – longer than mine had, that was for sure. But then the hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" and our table exploded. Fred and George were shouting "we got Potter!" over and over again. I screamed in joy and pulled the closest person into a hug, who happened to be Fred. He hugged me back.

"I'm sorry, Lupe. I got a bit out of control."

I pushed him away with a grin, and he wiped my hair off my face.

"I think you might be PMSing," I told him with all seriousness as we sat back down. I glanced up the table to see Harry taking a seat rather too close to Percy for mine, Fred or George's liking, but the Sorting continued anyway. I ignored the rest of them until Ron, but there was never really any doubt where he would end up. He looked hugely relieved as the hat placed him in Gryffindor, and hurried to take a seat next to Harry. I beamed at him, and he gave me a tentative wave back, then turned to listen to Dumbledore.

The old fool was even more spectacularly mad than last year, coming out with a load of complete crap, and then the food appeared. My interest in all other proceedings ended there.

The only other interesting thing that happened that evening was that I dared Fred and George to sing the School song to a really slow funeral march, and they did. I nearly wet myself laughing. They kept their faces really serious though, which made it even funnier.

After dinner the first years disappeared off and we had ten minutes longer in the Hall.

"I'll be back later, don't wait for me," I whispered in George's ear, and then slipped silently from the Hall and out of the main doors, which had very helpfully been left slightly ajar. I changed forms almost as soon as I hit the shadows of the night, and loped purposefully towards the Forest. I broke through the eaves, ran on for another two minutes, then let out a long howl. I sat down to wait, hidden in a pile of bracken. There was something wrong with the Forest. It was darker than last year, and I didn't feel like leaving myself too exposed.

Light hoofbeats reached my ears a few moments later, and I heard Nova's voice.

"Alyss?"

I stood up and she jumped. I flicked back up into human form, cursing as my robe got snagged on a thorn.

"Are you alright?" I asked. She was paler than usual, and her eyes were wide and frightened. She swallowed.

"Yeah, but let's get out of here. It's safer further in."

I nodded compliance, and changed forms again, following her unhesitatingly as she galloped off through the trees. She ran flat out for almost half an hour, then slowed.

"You can change back now, the darkness hasn't spread this far."

I flicked back up and sat on a log. She lay down as she usually did.

"What's with the moodiness of this place? It's really creepy," I told her, and she nodded her agreement.

"I know. There's something evil that moves among the trees at night, but only under the eaves, near the school. We're almost halfway up the mountain now, and it never comes closer than the foothills. You shouldn't come here as often, the stars hint at a great war coming, and I believe this is the beginning, as does Ronan, my brother."

I took all that in and sat quite still for a few moments. She took in my expression.

"Don't be scared, it won't dare try to harm anyone in the school," she assured me.

"I'm not scared, I'm annoyed!" I informed her. "This severely limits my freedom! If it's too dangerous for me to come out here how am I supposed to run and talk to you?"

She smiled. "I'd like to see the criminal hard enough to take the two of us on," she joked, and I laughed.

"Maybe next time I'll bring Fred and George, and the four of us can vanquish this evil!" I exclaimed, and she giggled.

"I would like to meet these boys you speak of," she said, and I raised an eyebrow.

"You would?"

"Yes. You talk of them a lot."

I smiled. "Yes, I suppose I do. They're my best friends."

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, then I spoke again.

"I can't come back here for a couple of weeks, I'm afraid. School will be hectic, and Fred and George are getting suspicious, not to mention Keira."

She nodded. "I'll escort you back later."

"No, don't. I can find my own way back – I'll sprint the whole way and not stop running until I smash right into the castle itself."

She laughed, the sound echoing through the trees.

"Nova?" the man's voice floated towards us.

"_Run_!" she hissed at me. I needed no further encouragement – I had no desire to meet the infamous Ronan, nor his wrath, and I didn't want to get Nova in trouble.

"Later!" I whispered, and changed forms, sprinting towards the undergrowth and just managing to get under cover when the chestnut centaur bounded into the clearing we had been sitting in. He had two others with him, and I crouched lower and froze. The two years of hiding from Fred, George, Peeves and various teachers really paid off.

"Who were you talking to?" Ronan demanded, stamping the ground in front of where his sister was lying. She smiled up at him.

"The stars, brother. They like to listen."

She sounded brilliantly dreamy – we had often exchanged lying tips, and my favourite one of hers was that the more absent you sounded, the less likely your interrogators were to realise that you were lying. Ronan pulled her to her feet, and she protested.

"Hey, Ronan, that hurts! What are you doing?"

"I can smell _human_!" he growled, and she wrenched her arm away.

"This far into the forest? You can probably smell me, I wandered close to the castle earlier to find some of those pretty blue flowers for my hair."

She turned her head. Her long, blond hair fell over her face, revealing the blue flower tucked behind her ear.

"Close to the castle?" his voice was deadly ice. She sensed that too. I was barely breathing: one wrong move could earn her a severe punishment.

"It was a mistake, brother! I was not paying attention to my hooves!"

He started to answer her, then whipped round to stare in my general direction. I cursed mentally – the wind had shifted and was blowing my scent straight towards him. He padded closer, his bow cocked. The two centaurs behind him also notched an arrow onto their bows and spread their weight, waiting. I knew he saw me crouched there, so I growled lightly. He laughed.

"Stand down, brothers, it's only a lost, stupid wolf. He must not know that he is in centaur territory."

Okay, the guy was pushing it. First he calls me stupid, then he calls me a 'he'?! I growled louder, and Ronan turned his attention to me. The moonlight shone down on him and bounced off his gleaming hide, but I was still in the shadows, and so all it did was reflect off my eyes.

"Run, brother wolf, away from here. And do not return."

I snarled, but controlled my desire to leap at him, turning instead and padding away into the forest, snatching a quick glance back to see him turning away from me, back to Nova, who had taken advantage of his distraction to run off. He howled in rage, and I let out a bark of delight, then realised what I had done when he spun on his hind legs to face me, an arrow already in his bow.

_Shit bitch ass turd …_

I kept up a contrast stream of mental insults as he and his two fellows chased me through the forest. I ran as fast as I could, leaping over logs and branches and trying very hard not to run into trees. One branch caught me on the side of my face, and I felt my two-year old scar tear again. I whined as I sprinted, and then hit exactly what I had been hoping to: the river. I plunged in and swam to a bed of reeds, crouching as low as I could, the water lapping at my jaw. I watched them arrive at the bank: one fell in, and I found myself shaking with laughter, despite my potentially fatal situation. He pulled himself out with muttered curses, and I bit down on my giggles, which would have emerged as coughing barks had I let them escape. They paced up and down the bank for a while, then turned and vanished back into the forest.

I waited a very long time to make sure they weren't coming back, and then made my slow way over to the opposite bank. I shook myself once I was out of the water, then forced myself to carry on running, knowing it was the best way to dry out. I shot through the 'dangerous' part of the forest and reached the grass outside the castle. I trotted up the front stairs to find the doors locked.

_Motherfuckers!_ I swore to myself, and sat down on the steps to assess my situation. So I was locked outside the castle with no means of getting in, and I was cold and tired. I tried to remember if there were any doors around the side, and turned human to hurry round the side of the castle. I was going past a bit of wall when a window above me swung open.

_Busted, _was my first thought.

"Alyss?" the low voice asked, and I took a few steps away from the wall.

"Cedric?" I asked incredulously. He nodded.

"What the hell are you doing down there?" he enquired with considerable amusement.

"What the hell are _you _doing up _there_?" I retorted with a grin.

"Bathroom," he replied, then explained further, "someone made ours smell horrible, so I came to use this one. Here, grab this," he said, waving his wand and allowing a rope to spin down to me.

"Nice," I told him, and shimmied quickly up it, grabbing his hand and pulling myself in through the window.

"How did you do that?" he asked, and I smiled.

"Plenty of practise," I told him. "I have to go now, though, I'm tired."

He nodded and hugged me goodbye. I wished him luck with his bathroom, then hurriedly shot out of the room, up several flights of stairs, through three doors pretending to be walls, down two tunnels behind tapestries and then along the corridor to the Gryffindor common room.

"Caput Draconis," I panted to the Fat Lady. She opened inwards, and I scrambled through. I hurried across the room, and up the stairs. I realised when I pushed the door open that I had managed to make my way into the boys' dormitory by mistake, so I shrugged out of my robes, into a pair of George's old pyjamas and climbed into bed with Fred. He didn't wake up, but rolled over and put an arm around me. I smiled and shut my eyes.


	12. Spite

"**Adventure is just bad planning." – Roald Amundson**

In a whole week of school I barely saw Harry, although I looked out for him everywhere. Remember that blonde ferret-boy? Yeah, I took to hexing him whenever I saw him. I usually did it from behind suits of armour or around corners, and he never had any idea who hit him. It provided me with a great deal of entertainment on a great many occasions, especially when I was in a bad mood from something.

I managed to not fight with Fred for almost a whole five days, and then he 'accidently' tripped me up down the stairs. At least, that's what he said. So I cursed him, and he hexed me back, and it escalated into an epic duel that landed us both in the hospital wing for almost two days. We were laughing about it when we were finally allowed out. Madam Pomfrey watched us go, apparently amazed by our ability to forgive and forget. Usually I'm the sort of person who bears a huge grudge, but it was _Fred_. I'm not sure what sort of huge misdemeanour he'd have to conduct against me to _really_, permanently piss me off. I was considering this absently as we headed to Charms when George met us coming the other way.

"You guys got out? Awesome!"

We had spent most of the previous day in bed discussing our next huge prank. This one involved the staff room and a whole _load _of doxies. Where Fred and George had got them from I had no idea, but I didn't want to ask. I pulled out the Marauder's Map and examined the area the Staff Room was in.

"Look, if we go behind that tapestry _there _the tunnel will lead us straight to that vent that overlooks the Staff Room." I said. Fred and George pressed their heads on either side of me.

"Right, so what we'll do is just open the grate, drop the cages in, the doors will spring open and the doxies will all pelt out. And then we'll run for it," Fred said, and then we all gave each other high fives.

"Break!" I cried exuberantly, and we all sprinted off to the tapestry on the floor above. It was a very large tapestry with an angry dragon being beaten up by several wizards. We slipped behind it with George in the lead and Fred at the back. We crawled for several minutes, and then came to the opening in the ceiling of the staff room. There were two teachers sitting in there, one was Flitwick and the other was a tall, thin fellow I didn't recognise. As quietly as he could, George lifted up the crate. He held it up while Fred passed me the first cage full of doxies, and then the second. I held them in both hands while I waited. The tall teacher I didn't recognise got up and walked to the window. It was a rusty window, and as he struggled with it it produced the most appalling screech, so I dropped the cages and George shut the grate. The cages smashed against the floor and the doors flew open. About a hundred hacked-off doxies poured out, and proceeded to wreak havoc on the staff room. The two teachers fled. We watched for a while as the doxies tore down curtains, overturned chairs and generally wrecked the place, then hurried on down the tunnel. I pulled out the marauders map to check the area. A floor below, about ten teachers were all hurrying to the staff room, but our general area was clear. So I rolled up the map and we ran on, finding ourselves behind another tapestry. I managed to extricate myself with some difficulty, and then we headed off to Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Fred flung the door open with a flourish.

"Sorry we're late, professor, but some doxies got into the staff room and we got a bit held up by the chaos."

The turbaned professor nodded in acceptance, and we took our seats at the back. He was stammering on about some kind of dangerous lizard, and we noticed that barely anyone else was listening.

"So, Lupe, I hear you have a date with Diggory tonight?" Fred asked in a low voice. I gave him a hard sidelong glare.

"No, we're going for a walk. Seeing as you two never have the time, I though I'd find someone who did."

George carefully ignored us; I could tell he didn't want to be a part of the argument that was approaching.

"I don't want you to go with him."

"Oh, come on, he's not going to kill me with a shovel then bury my body in the woods, is he?"

"No, but I still don't like the way he looks at you."

"Just because he's the only one that notices that I'm a girl doesn't give you the right to dislike him."

"I can hate whomsoever I choose. And he's _not _the only one who notices that you're a girl." His voice, although it was quiet, was intense, and I glanced up at him to see his gaze fixated on mine. I sighed.

"I don't understand you, Fred Weasley. The only time you've _ever _complimented me on how I look was when I took my hair down to distract you and Cedric from fighting."

"It looked really nice, you should get it down again."

He reached for my hair.

"Don't you _dare_!" I shouted.

"Miss Lupin?" the teacher asked, looking at Fred and I in astonishment. We had both risen to our feet, and he had one arm extended. I had my wand poking into his ribs. We stood glaring at each other.

"Miss L-L-Lupin, Mr Weasley, p-please take your s-seats."

"Go on," I muttered to Fred, my gaze locked in his, "I dare you."

He reached further forward, far enough to tug the end of my plait. I shoved my wand back inside my robes and then put all my weight behind a punch in his stomach. He doubled over, coughing, and then leapt at me. I ducked out of the way and tackled him from behind. We rolled over and over on the floor, knocking chairs out of the way. The other students were all laughing: Fred and I had done this many, many times in the last two years, but not in front of this new teacher, and our classmates were delighted with his reaction.

"Stop f-f-fighting!" he commanded. I bit Fred on the arm. He gave a shout of pain and managed to get me pinned down on the floor.

"T-that will d-d-do!" the teacher shouted, and hauled Fred off me by his collar.

"That's actually, like, assault, professor," he said, winking at me as I got to my feet. I grinned.

"Yeah, you could go to jail for that, sir," I told him. Behind us, everyone was laughing so hard they almost couldn't breathe.

"Don't you have a wand for something, sir?" Fred asked. The professor was about to retort something that I'm sure would have been scathing, but then the door burst open and a harried-looking McGonagall almost fell into the classroom.

"Professor Quirrell? We need your help, someone's let a hundred doxies free in the staff room, and they're spreading all over the school!"

Quirrell hurried out, and Fred, George and I all high-fived each other.

"It was _you?" _Keira asked in astonishment.

"You shouldn't always act so surprised, Ki. We do this quite a lot."

"I know, but that might have been pushing it …"

There was a bang that echoed throughout the whole school. I tilted my head to one side.

"Maybe just a little," I confided to Fred, who nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmm," he said.

Then we all heard Professor Dumbledore's magnified voice.

"Lessons have been cancelled for the remainder of today. Please return to your houses, and anyone who can please immobilise and capture any stray doxies you see."

There was a burst of manic cheering, then everyone packed up and the halls filled with people. There was the odd doxy whizzing about above our heads as we walked. A few people did make efforts to capture them, but Fred, George and I were not the only ones sending stinging hexes to further irritate them. When we eventually made it back to the common room we dumped our bags and grabbed the little grouping of sofas and squishy armchairs that we liked best. The rest of our year also came to sit down.

It gave us quite a shock to see Angelina and Alicia head over to sit with us: they were quite friendly with some of the girls from the year below, and I got the feeling that Angelina didn't like me very much. I didn't really understand it, but never mind.

"Hey, you guys," Alicia said, taking a seat. I sat watching in amazement as they engaged in loud conversation with everyone. What was going on? And then I noticed the little sidelong glances Angelina threw at Fred, and got it. But then I got mad when _he _started throwing them _back _at her. My eyes narrowed.

"Hey, Fred, do you have the time?" I asked, distracting him.

"Sure," he said, tearing his gaze away from Angelina's to glance down at his watch. I evilled her in the brief moment before he looked back up. "It's just after four."

"Thanks," I said, getting up and making my way up to the dormitory. I dressed carefully, picking out some jeans and a tight-fitting t-shirt that had 'no love lost' emblazoned across it, plus some Ugg boots for my feet and a zip-up jumper. I struggled into it all, then went over to the mirror and took my hair down. I gazed at it angrily. It fell on either side of my face in messy, wavy curtains, and I didn't like it. I tried pulling it back, but I didn't like that either. Then I had a brainwave and flipped more of it over to one side. Side partings look way better, so I was satisfied. I stared indecisively for a moment at the make-up that lay all over the vanity table, but shook my head absently to myself. I wouldn't really know where to start anyway.

Then I took one last look in the mirror. I'll admit, but in strictest confidence, that I was dressing up more to make Fred angry than to impress Cedric, although that was an added bonus. I hate to think of myself as a possessive best friend, but I was beginning to suspect that I was. Most of the girls I saw him with didn't stand a chance of capturing his attention for more than a couple of hours, so I ignored them, but Angelina was different. She was smart – a lot smarter than me – and good at magic, and also really pretty. And she was _nice_. To everyone except me. I don't get it, she gets along really well with everyone else. With a mental shrug I bounded down the steps.

"Bye!" I called to everyone sitting in the chairs. Fred leapt to his feet as soon as he saw me.

"Just where do you think you're going, all dressed like that and with your hair down?" his expression was thunderous. I pouted.

"I'm going for my walk with Cedric. Don't you remember, we argued about it before classes got cancelled."

"You will not meet up with Diggory looking like _that_."

I bristled; his tone was arrogant and commanding. "I will meet up with whoever I bloody well please, looking how I bloody well like!"

"No you will not!"

"You know, Fred, the whole overprotective-brother thing is getting really old."

His gaze hardened. "I'm being an overprotective _best friend_, not a brother. A brother would have swung you up and locked you in your room until you changed!"

The room was quieting. I think our friends had sensed that this was a serious fight instead of one of our usual silly little spats.

"Go on then, lock me up," I challenged belligerently, my expression murderous. He moved closer and then, without warning, backed off suddenly. I realised that my breathing speed had increased. I put it down to the effort I was making not cursing him to Hell and back.

"Fine, go and have it on with Diggory. It's not like I care anyway."

My first reaction was anger. "I am _not _going to 'have it on' with _anyone_, least of all Cedric!" His only reaction was to turn his back with a loud snort.

"Like I said, I don't care what you do. You can go and prance around with your little Hufflepuff pal, and sleep with him for all I care!"

I was shocked. "I'm thirteen, Fred, I'm not about to sleep with anyone!" I realised that a great deal of the common room was listening. I could see Harry in one of the corners looking amazed.

"Yeah, whatever," Fred replied quietly. I started shaking.

"You, Fred Weasley, are a low-down, good-for-nothing, dirty-minded, _jealous _prat!" Suddenly, as I said that, I had an inkling. "Is that it? Are you _jealous _of Cedric? Afraid that he'll steal me away and you'll lose a friend?"

His expression was detached. "I wouldn't be jealous of that idiot if he had all the money and girls in the world."

I almost went to hit him, my usual solution to this kind of argument, but I realised that I was feeling very shaky. I was cold, and I felt tears welling up. I tried my utmost to force them back down.

"You're jealous because he's better than you!"

He whipped around to face me, his face so fierce that for the first time ever I was actually afraid of him.

"Just because you've won his easily-distracted attention for the moment, Alyss, doesn't mean he won't drop you like he does all his other conquests. You're not special or different to anyone else."

I tried to gather myself for a cutting response, but to my horror the tears spilled over. I didn't know what to do with myself, so I did the obvious thing. I fled. But not before tossing one sentence over my shoulder to show him how much he'd hurt me.

"And here I was thinking that you were my friend."

I ran out of the portrait hole and down the stairs. I fell at the bottom, and briefly considered not getting up, but I heard footsteps pounding after me. I knew what would have happened: our friends would have divided themselves down the middle, one group for Fred and the other for me. I could feel tears streaming down my cheeks, and for the first time I didn't want the comfort my peers could offer. I wanted silence and loneliness. So I picked myself up from the floor and sprinted down towards the entrance hall. I fell twice more, not looking where I was going. But eventually I reached the doors. I wrenched my way through them, hurrying down the steps, sobs catching at my throat, and headed for the forest. But the darkness there was even more apparent than before, and in my current state I felt more vulnerable than I ever had in the past. I didn't want to deal with Ronan, Bane or any of the other threats lurking under the trees.

I switched course, away from the trees, and headed instead to the lake. When I reached the grass on its edges, I threw myself to the ground and curled up in a ball. I knew somewhere that I was overreacting to a stupid argument, but Fred had never been so outright spiteful to me before, and it cut deeply. He was my best friend, and I realised how much I depended on him to always be there for me, even more than George. We argued but never so seriously. We teased each other, but were never deliberately hurtful. This was different. Usually, it ended up with us trying to kill each other, but this time we hadn't even resorted to our wands.

I sobbed into the ground as the sun descended further in the sky, too wrapped up in my misery to care. But then a warm hand dropped onto my shoulder. I leapt to my feet, instantly on the defensive. I squinted against the glare of the sun and recognised Cedric. I gulped, furious that I was being seen in such a vulnerable state. But he just pulled me into a hug and murmured soothingly into my ear. I let the sobs escape again, crying into his jumper. He pulled me down so I was sitting next to him, and allowed me to soak him. He didn't ask for an explanation until I managed to stop.

"What happened?" he enquired gently as I wiped my face.

"I … I fought with Fred," I told him. He smiled.

"But you always do that. Why should this time be any different? I've never seen you so upset after an argument with him." His tone was slightly puzzled, and he wrapped an arm around my waist. It felt very nice and comforting, even though my crush was gone – no, seriously! - so I leaned my head onto his shoulder.

"This was the worst ever. He said that I'm not special or different and that you'd forget about me really soon."

"He said that about _me_?" Cedric's tone was incredulous. "I've been worrying that you'd forget me real soon!"

I smiled. "I think he thinks you've got more than friendship on your mind, the idiot. I tried to tell him all the time, but he's so bloody stubborn, he wouldn't listen."

Cedric shifted where he sat. "Alyss, I don't want you to be angry with Fred over me."

"_He's _angry with _me_," I protested, "not the other way round! Sure, he can have girl friends, but I'm not allowed to have guy friends outside of Gryffindor!"

Cedric pushed a stray strand of hair away from my face. I heaved a huge sigh and gazed out over the waters of the lake as the setting sun turned them molten gold.

"It's beautiful," I remarked, feeling more peaceful.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?!" a voice exploded from behind us. I twisted in disbelief to see Fred standing, his fists clenched, further back from the lakeside. I just ignored him and turned back to watch the lake.

"Oi, Diggory, I asked what you were doing!"

Cedric took a deep breath and stood up, turning to Fred. "For your information, _Weasley_, I was trying to patch up some of the mess _you've _caused."

Fred scowled heavily and stalked closer. I also stood up, and clutched at Cedric's arm.

"Don't let him provoke you," I whispered.

"C'mon, Alyss, let's go back to Gryffindor tower," Fred said, reaching for my hand as he tried to stare Cedric down. Both were roughly the same height, and I began to get angry again.

"Frederick Gideon Weasley, if you do not leave us alone _right now _you will wish you had never been born," I threatened, pulling my hand away. His gaze flashed to meet mine.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt a magical romantic moment?" he turned back to Cedric. "You've got cheek, moving in on a girl when she's down."

"He doesn't like me like that!" I burst out furiously, my vision going slightly red.

"You knocked her down!" Cedric pointed out, and their gazes locked. I could see that it was building up and could get nasty, so I let out an enraged scream.

"I freaking _hate _boys!" I shrieked and marched off up to the castle. I could hear shouts behind me, but didn't turn around. I didn't want to know.

I reached the common room to find it only half-full. A couple of people noticed as I climbed in, but wisely chose not to comment on my tear-stained cheeks and murderous expression. I made my way over to my dormitory and hurried up the stairs. I smashed the door open, ignored the babble of chatter that cut off as I entered, stalked across to my bed and climbed on it, wrenching the hangings shut.

"Alyss?" Keira asked tentatively. She drew my hangings back a little.

"I don't want to talk about it thanks, Ki," I told her. She nodded and let go. However, light surprised me as Angelina yanked my hangings open. I rolled my eyes.

"What do _you _want?" I asked rudely.

"Why do you constantly have to draw all the attention onto yourself?" she enquired crossly. "When I finally get Fred's attention, you have to pull him away with a stupid, slutty act of vengeance!"

I mouthed wordlessly for a minute, shocked at the direction this had taken. But I don't have wolf in my genetic make-up for nothing, so I sprung to fight.

"I did nothing of the sort. I was all prepared to just leave and go on my walk with Cedric, but in case you didn't notice, it was _Fred_ who overreacted hugely and thereby focused all attention on the two of us, so go have a go at him."

"He's still outside fighting over you with some Hufflepuff arsehole!"

"Do not call Cedric names, you haven't the right."

"I've got every right, little miss slag-of-the-century. I expect you thought you'd captivated Cedric, didn't you? Got him all ensnared with your looks. I expect it'll take him approximately a day to figure out that nothing except utter self-absorption swims behind that innocent little face."

I thought about getting off my bed and swinging a punch at her, but I didn't have the heart.

"Cedric likes me as a friend, nothing more. Why doesn't anyone get that?" I addressed the last question to the canopy of my bed.

"Because you're nothing but a little slut out to get laid at the first opportunity."

If I hadn't used up all my energy being all angst-y earlier I would have shoved her out of the window. Instead I pushed myself up onto my elbows.

"And what does that make you, then, huh? _I'm_ not the one flinging flirty glances at anything male, _I'm_ not the one trying to capture a boy's attention. I'm just being me. I can't help it if people like me for that. Besides, if you're trying to imply that being nice-looking makes me a slut, you'd win the 'Queen Slut' prize, because you're far prettier than me."

She looked like she couldn't decide whether to be pleased at my round-about (and totally unintentional) compliment or to take umbrage at my insults. I seized the opportunity and marched out of the dormitory, taking my duvet and slamming the door behind me. I reached the common room to find it empty, so I grabbed a sofa by the fire and curled up on it, tucking my duvet around myself. I would have gone further, maybe to the room of requirement, but I didn't feel like making the effort of avoiding teachers, prefects or Peeves. I stared into the fire for a while, and then my eyes slowly closed of their own accord.

I had the oddest dream. I was holding a bouncing, brown-haired baby in my arms, sitting on a bench on a beach, and in front of me a badger and a lion were tearing away at each other in the surf. I started to head for them, intending to drag them away from each other, moving with the typical slow drag of a dreamer, but the baby began to cry. I stopped to comfort him, and when I looked back down the lion had disappeared and a hissing, swaying snake was rearing over the badger, which was lying dead on the floor in front of it. Then another lion approached from behind the snake and delivered a massive blow to its head, killing it. I screamed hugely, and the baby screamed with me.

I woke myself screaming, and sat up to find an empty room. The fire was almost dead, and the sky outside the window was still pure black. I rubbed my head. The dream had felt so real. I could almost feel the warmth the baby had left against my chest. I rubbed that area absently as I heard footsteps on a set of stairs. A boy appeared down the stairs. A black-haired, bespectacled boy with bright green eyes. He gazed at me, seeming puzzled.

"Are you alright? I heard someone scream."

I smiled sheepishly at him. "Yeah, that was me. Sorry, I just had a bad dream."

He nodded his understanding, but still looked confused. "Why are you sleeping down here?" he eventually asked.

"I had a fight with one of the girls on my dorm, so I didn't want to stay up there, and I also fought with one of my guy friends, so I can't go up to their dorm either. This was my only option."

His puzzlement cleared. "Oh, I see. So you're really alright?"

I smiled again and nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks for your concern, Harry."

He nodded and turned uncertainly, heading back up his stairs. I lay back down and gazed up at the ceiling, trying to figure the dream out. I was certain I wouldn't be able to sleep, but to my surprise I dropped off again quickly.

The next morning I woke up early, and the dream was still clear in my mind. I puzzled over it as I made my silent way back upstairs. I opened the door completely quietly and pulled my duvet back over to my bed. Then I hurried into my uniform and left everyone still sleeping. I wandered the corridors until breakfast time, still not in the mood to face anyone. Then, during breakfast, I sat by Keira and studiously ignored Fred as he ignored me.

The rest of the day, and the week, was spent not talking to Fred, and only condescending to talk to George when he made his puppy-dog eyes at me and melted my heart a little. He came to sit by me in History of Magic one afternoon. I shifted slightly in annoyance but didn't move because he was using the Eyebrows of Penitence on me, and they were _so _cute. I put the end of my quill in my mouth and chewed on it absently as I talked to him.

"What do you want?"

"I thought you might like to know the greatly secret news about the Gryffindor quidditch team!"

I perked up. I was very proud of Fred and George for being on the team, but hardly surprised that they had been picked. If there were any two people more suited to being beaters the world hadn't discovered them yet.

"What news? Spill, dammit."

"We have a seeker!"

I shifted closer to him in delight, leaning close so he could whisper in my ear to tell me who it was.

"It's none other than your dear little godbrother, Parry Hotter, the boy who lived!"

I bit down on a cheer of joy and gave George a spontaneous hug. Binns didn't even notice. I knew he wouldn't. Fred, George, Lee and I once danced a conga out of the classroom while he was teaching and he didn't bother to look up, just carried on rambling on about some ancient war. Even remembering that made me smile. George sighed into our hug.

"You know, Lupe, you shouldn't punish me because my brother's being an arse."

I bit my lip guiltily. "I'm sorry, Georgie, I'm just so mad at him, and … well … you do look kinda similar. Can you understand my issue?"

He grinned. "Understand it, yep. Like it, nope." He popped his lips on the 'p' of nope. I smiled and pushed him out of the hug.

"You're just one big, soppy gimp under all that jokester bravado, aren't you?" I teased. He covered his chest with one hand.

"That hurt," he said. I just smiled, glad he had decided to ignore my pettiness over Fred. "But you should try and make up with Fred."

I scowled and shoved him away from me. "Traitor!"

"No, hear me out," he protested, pulling me closer. "He's the most miserable bastard at the moment, and I know it's not because he got a T on our last surprise transfiguration test."

I grimaced. I hadn't scored too well on that test either. In fact, I didn't really score brilliantly on many tests unless I cheated off Fred or George or bullied them into helping me revise the night before. "He's the one in the wrong, he should apologise."

"You think I haven't tried to make him?!" George's tone was exasperated. I glanced at Fred. He was sitting on the other side of the classroom with Ben, Lee, Isobel, Alicia and Angelina. My expression darkened as he ran a hand down Angelina's arm.

"I wouldn't make up with him if you paid me a gazillion galleons and gave me a jar of lightening."

George sighed and tried the Eyes of Great Pleading on me, but I wasn't having any of it. He sighed again.

"I'll work on the jar of lightening, but I can't promise anything about the galleons, 'kay?"

I didn't reply, instead moving my arm so my hand could cup my cheek and I could act like I was paying attention to Professor Binns. My bracelet fell down my arm and I got distracted by the way the gentle sunlight coming in through the window shattered off the sapphire and crystal and threw rainbows across the floor. That made me remember the book I was halfway through, Twilight, that was lying on my bed upstairs. I considered it longingly. It would help me ignore George's Expression of Huge Sorrow that I could feel scorching into the side of my face. I knew him so well that I didn't have to turn around to know how his face would be all creased up, his big brown eyes twinkling as he waited for me to capitulate. Damn Weasley.


	13. Overstepping the boundaries

I forgave George about an hour later. He used his Eyebrows of Hurt on me until I gave in, and then happy-danced me around the common room until he exhausted himself and collapsed into a chair. I skipped past him, very happy to not be fighting with/ ignoring my best friend anymore, and he tripped me up. I fell into his lap with a choice swearword, and soundly berated him – still sitting in his lap. He grinned indolently up at me as I told him off … and then Fred walked in. I turned around to watch him. He shot George a betrayed glance and gave me a really evil look. I scowled and decided to settle this once and for all.

"Hey Weasley!" I shouted. He looked at me, startled, and I crossed the room in several strides and punched him in the face. He reeled backwards, swearing and clutching at his nose. I grinned, and waited. I had figured out – with George's help – that when it came to Fred we could always make up after physical fights, but the verbal ones took longer to come down from. So I had formulated my plan – well, actually decided to hit Fred and then improvise from there – and set it into motion. As I had hoped he went for me as soon as he recovered from the shock. That's another one of the things I love about Fred – he doesn't soften his blows or go easy on me because I'm a girl. He gives exactly as good as he gets.

He caught me around the waist and knocked me to the floor, landing on top of me. I writhed and squirmed and managed to wriggle so that I was pinning _him _down.

"Beg for mercy!" I demanded with a smile. He shook his head vehemently.

"Never, Lupin!"

George was laughing openly at the two of us as we fought for dominance, rolling around on the floor. Keira came over to see what the matter was and joined him on the sofa. Eventually he managed to pin me down. I surrendered; I had known it would only be a matter of time before he won. He was, after all, the stronger out of the two of us, and we both knew it. He got up once assured of his victory and helped me to my feet.

"C'mon, let's go find somewhere to talk about this without a load of nosy sods listening in," Fred said, indicating George and Keira. I laughed and made my way out of the portrait hole, Fred following close behind me. Suddenly, Fred grabbed the back of my robes and yanked me to a halt.

"What are you - "

He held a finger to his lips, pulled something out of his pocket, wound it up and set it on the floor. It – whatever it was – scuttled under the doors nearest to us. I glanced up and noted with considerable pleasure that it was Quirrell's classroom. That nervous git really creeped me out. A dull explosion was heard, and then a furious shout. Fred grabbed my arm and we set off at a sprint down the hallway. Behind us, the door crashed open and we heard running footsteps. Without warning, Fred hauled me into a broom cupboard and shut the door smartly. I stuck my head against the gap and watched intently. Quirrell ran past, and I was about to open the door when I heard Filch's shuffling footsteps.

"What?" Fred mouthed at me.

"Filch," I mouthed back. Fred sighed, and I understood. Filch could prowl around at the scene of a misdemeanour for hours, so we might be pretty stuck. I turned my attention to the situation at hand. It was a very small broom cupboard, and Fred and I were pressed right up against each other. I made a face, and he mouthed "what?" again.

"Personal space …" I whispered, trailing off. He smirked, his eyes glinting. I rolled my eyes, but the new look on his face prevented me from glancing away. His blue eyes were suddenly full of ice-fire, his expression almost … _hungry_.

_Aw, shit, _I thought. What the hell was he up to now? There was only so much a person could take in a day, and I was just about at the end of my tether. I waited warily. _He'd better not be planning to pull a prank on me! _I thought furiously. _Jesus, you'd think he'd get over the whole pranking complex thing after he's been doing it for all his life! I dread what he's planning t – _

And then he bent his head and kissed me.

_Fuck._

What now? His lips were soft against mine, gently yielding. I was in such a state of shock that I didn't move. He moved a hand and cupped the side of my face with it.

What would you do?

I couldn't think. For a moment, my hands raised themselves towards his head, to pull him closer, but then my logic – well, what little of it I possessed – snapped firmly into place. I put both my hands on his chest and pushed. He broke away suddenly, as if realising what he was doing.

"Shit, Alyss, sorry."

I was still very confused. I cocked my head to one side. "Why d'you do that?" I wanted to know.

"It just … seemed like the right thing to do?" he tried. I snorted. And then Filch whipped the door open, brandishing a broom.

"Got you!" he crowed. I met Fred's eye and we both grinned.

"Don't think so, Argy," Fred replied jauntily.

"Yeah. It's more like … you _had _us, and unfortunately lost us," I explained.

We high-fived and then exploded from the closet, knocking Filch down and sprinting off down the corridor. We ran the whole way to the Gryffindor tower and only paused, panting, to force out the password. The Fat Lady raised an eyebrow but swung forward. We both hastened into the common room, and Fred headed straight for the crowd our year had created near the fireplace. I stopped, and stared at his retreating back, only one question running through my head.

_Why had he kissed me?_

I wanted to go and demand an explanation, but I was reluctant to get in another fight so soon after our last one. So instead I turned, wearing a very puzzled expression, and headed up to my dorm. I sat cross-legged on my bed and stared into middle-distance. I would like to say I was thinking very hard, but in fact my mind was blank and I was waiting for an answer to Fred's confusing behaviour to just pop into my head.

Yeah, like that was going to happen.

The door banged open suddenly and Keira came in, her cheeks red from laughter. However, her expression changed when she noticed my thinking-face. It wasn't one I used often.

"What's up with you?" she asked, coming to sit next to me. I frowned.

"Fred kissed me."

Her hands went to her mouth, and she let out her breath in a sharp exhalation of breath.

"Whoa."

"I know," I replied, lying back. She lay next to me, and we both stared up at the canopy of my bed.

"Why?" she enquired. I shrugged.

"No idea. We were hiding from Filch in a broom closet and suddenly he looked at me all weird and then just – bam! – kissed me out of nowhere."

"Weird."

"Mm."

Fred made no attempt to broach the topic over the next few weeks, instead spending most of his time, like the majority of the Gryffindors, discussing the new seeker. It had been a secret for about two days that Harry was our new seeker, but then it leaked out and the whole school knew.

So I eventually forgot that stupid event in the broom closet, and focused instead on my studies. Yeah, right. No, instead I threw more and more effort into helping George and Fred create suitable amounts of mayhem. It was great fun, but they were pretty careful about it, as the teachers had been furious about the doxies. They never realised it was us, fortunately, and you could still see the occasional rip in tapestries and curtains where a doxy-claw or tooth had caught it.

Then Halloween came. I love Halloween, with all the candles and bats and stuff. This Halloween was a little different, though. I had just dared George to stuff a whole chilli in his mouth – and he had – when the doors banged open and that stupid Quirrell prat ran in. Everyone went silent as he yelled.

"Troll! Troll in the dungeons!"

Then he started to shake. "Thought you ought to know," he said, and fell to the floor in a dead faint. Wimp. I turned my attention back to George, who had stuffed the chilli in his mouth just at the moment Quirrell entered so dramatically. Fortunately the school erupted in terror just as the heat of it hit him, and he started coughing and spluttering, and I am ashamed to say that he even screamed like a girl. No-one noticed except Fred and I, and we both grinned as George downed almost an entire jug of water. Then he started hiccoughing. It was hilarious, I must say. Dumbledore set off a load of bangs with his wand and order, no matter how fleeting, presided. As he gave out instructions, George kept hiccoughing loudly, and both Fred and I had tears running down our cheeks as we fought to keep from bursting into roars of laughter.

It was kinda weird, but I felt so safe at Hogwarts that I didn't feel scared of the troll in the slightest. I am embarrassed to admit that I had perfect faith in the teachers to sort the thing out. But don't tell anyone I said that. Seriously.

Anyway, as everyone fled Fred and I helped the hiccoughing fool out of the Great Hall and back to the Gryffindor common room. I grabbed a glass of water off the long table that had appeared just as we walked in, all laid up, and hurried back over to George.

"Hold your arms in the air and drink as much of this as fast as you can, 'kay?" I ordered. He raised his arms and I held the glass to his face, tipping it so he could drink from it. He gulped for a while, and then pulled his hands down and pushed the water away, slopping quite a lot down his front. I grinned.

"All better?" I asked. He nodded, looking slightly ungrateful. Then we grabbed the best seats, right in the middle of the table, and sat down to wait as everyone milled around nervously. It was ridiculous. You'd think that being in the same house as Fred and George would get them used to a bit of mayhem, but obviously not. We sighed as one, and leaned against each other to wait.

Dumbledore's magnified voice echoed through the room, and everyone fell silent. George hiccoughed once, absently, as we listened.

"The teachers are currently working on getting that troll back where it came from. For now, please enjoy the remainder of the feast in your houses. Goodnight, everyone."

Then his voice disappeared and the food was suddenly in front of us. I gave a shout of joy echoed by Fred and George and dived in. We were the only ones sitting down, but then gradually the rest of the house joined us. I had Isobel to my right, Fred to my left, George on the other side of him and Daniel on the other side of Isobel. To my great horror, Percy Weasley sat down opposite Fred. He paused halfway through a chicken drumstick to level a cold glare at Percy, then he, George and I spent the rest of the evening pretending that the seat opposite was empty. I don't think Percy liked that much, but there wasn't really anything he could do about it.

"Here, Lupe, try some of this," George said, leaning past Fred to offer me a spoonful of something red. I eyed it warily.

"What is it?"

"It's salsa – it tastes awesome."

I opened my mouth to accept the little red heap, and then gasped in outrage. Because it was, of course, a chopped-up chilli. I swallowed reflexively and tears leaked out of my eyes as the heat hit the back of my throat.

"You … fucker …" I choked out, reaching out for my glass, downing it, then grabbing at Fred's and finishing that too. The fire faded a little, and I managed to get my vision back to normal. Let's just say I don't do spicy well. Anyway, most of the people around were laughing, but Fred and George were clutching on to each other, looking like they were going to die from laughter.

"You are going to pay, George Weasley!" I threatened. And then I hiccoughed. They all just laughed harder. I scowled, snatched up a jug of water, leant over Fred and dumped a load of ice-cold water over George. It was his turn to cough and splutter again. Deciding to quit while I was ahead, I grabbed one of the giant lollies from the centre of the table and bolted. He was close behind me, and heads turned to watch as I raced for the stairs. I was halfway up them when I remembered that as soon as he set foot on them they would flatten … and they did just that. I squeaked in alarm, dropped my lollipop and slid backwards, crashing into George and knocking the wind out of him. We both lay winded for a couple of seconds, and then he grabbed a pillow off the sofa that had been pushed to one side and whacked me with it.

I shouted in annoyance and grabbed one of my own. We got so into it that we accidently smacked Fred and Isobel, and they joined in, and after that it was total mayhem. Everyone joined in except Percy, who tried to maintain order. Plates went flying, glasses were smashed – and carefully repaired afterwards by the sixth and seventh years – and feathers went _everywhere. _I slept very well that night, in my own bed for once, having thoroughly expended all my energy.

There was a little trouble the next day over a portrait with concussion – it wasn't our fault they all decided to join in! – but nothing really interesting happened until Divination. For the first time in any of Trelawney's lessons, I paid attention. I was leaning on my arms, sharing a table with Fred, ready to fall asleep, when she started babbling on about the principal six ancient elements. Hold up, aren't there only five?

"Muggles believe in only five elements: Earth, Air, Light, Fire and Water. However, wizards and witches of ancient times believed in a sixth element: ice. Now, for the rest of the lesson I want each of you to choose an element for your three best friends. Write them down on a piece of parchment, with reasons, and I'll sort them so each person can see what others think of them. Go!"

I was a little shocked that she had actually managed to capture my attention, but then I loved the really hokey-cokey stuff like this. I pulled over my first piece of parchment. Keira was easy – she's an Earth person through and through. Her Irishness and just general personality reflects it. She's smart, pretty, and she stands incredibly firm in her beliefs. She's also quiet and tends to take a background role. I had never witnessed a display of temper from her, but I was willing to bet a lot that I would be the first person to exit if she ever got really angry.

George was next – he took a little longer. However, I eventually decided on Water. I scribbled that down and put my reasoning under it. He's a very easy-going personality, willing to go with the flow; but he could turn destructive, wild and mischievous within seconds. I depended on him as a friend as much as I depended on water to keep me alive. He was also incredibly good at getting out of tight spots, but I didn't put that down.

Then I started on Fred. At least, tried to. Fred is a very hard person to pin down. I glanced up at him as I considered, and found him staring back at me. Our eyes met and we both grinned. I studied him carefully as he did the same to me. I scratched Air off the list – Fred was too solid, full of life and - I don't know, maybe strong – to be an Air personality. I scratched Earth and Water off too. He was nothing like Keira, and while he and George were so similar as for it to be slightly ridiculous, there was some deep, internal difference between them. That left light, fire and ice. Nope, not light, I decided, glancing back up at him. His brow was creased now as he looked at me, then down at his parchment, then back at me.

So, fire or ice? Stupid Trelawney, I would be in a ditherspaz for a century over this. I'm not sure why I cared so much, I could have bunged down any old crap and she wouldn't have noticed, but I really wanted to show my friends how much I knew them.

Fred was fire because he was … well, so fiery. He was passionate, fickle and easily distracted, but at the same time warm, caring, dependable and impossible to fight once he got really going.

And he was ice because he was so strong and unbreakable. He was one of the most vital people I knew, and I had no doubts that if the world were to fall Fred would be the one person left standing. Fred was a survivor, like ice. Ice survived anything. It grew, expanded, retreated, but never died. And Fred was like that. Nothing could pull him down. He was sure and he was determined.

And even after that careful breakdown, I still couldn't decide.

"Right, final parchments in, please," Trelawney called. I hurriedly wrote both fire and ice and the reasons, and handed it in.

I was surprised to discover that four people named me among their best friends. Three had written down fire. The fourth, when I received it, was in Fred's handwriting.

_Alyss Lupin, _he had written in his neatly cramped script,

_Light because she lights up whatever room she's in,_

_Water because of her destructive streak,_

_Earth because her anger is something terrible to behold,_

_Air because she can be a complete airhead,_

_Ice because she's a glittering personality,_

_Fire because she's a fiery, passionate girl who doesn't know when to quit._

It read rather like a love-letter. I glanced up at Fred, blushing, but he was intent on reading his elements. Suddenly he looked up to meet my gaze. I raised an eyebrow, and he stuck his tongue out. He had blatantly only written it to make me confused. I rolled my eyes and stuffed my four pieces of parchment in my bag.


	14. Friend

I was sneaking out for what must have been the ninth time in two weeks to try to find Nova. I was halfway across the grass in front of the castle and almost at the eaves of the forest when I heard a twig snap behind me. Not in an _I'm-a-twig-just-casually-snapping _kind of way, but in an _I'm-a-twig-and-someone-just-stood-on-me _kind of way. I twisted, my nose scenting the air carefully, my tail twitching as I poised myself to run. But then the wind gusted forward, and I recognised the two familiar scents that were carried to me. I switched back into my human form.

"Alright, you two can come out from behind that bush now," I said, putting my hands on my hips. Fred and George sheepishly emerged from behind the bush, slightly annoyed expressions on their faces. I grinned, even though I was irritated.

"Did you guys, who have practically _taught _me all types of trickery, deceit and sneaking out, honestly think you could follow me without my noticing?"

George smiled. "It was worth a shot. We were curious as to where you disappear off to. Since you've been missing nine evenings out of the last fourteen, we were wondering where you snuck off to. And I won't pretend it wasn't _his _idea," George said, elbowing Fred, who levelled a glare at his brother. "The fool wanted to check if you were meeting up with Diggory."

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously, Fred, get over it already. I'm _allowed _to be friends with Cedric if I want to."

"Well I also wanted to make sure you weren't doing anything dangerous," Fred defended himself, both of them moving closer.

"Yeah, because I _never _do _anything _dangerous. Like hanging out of seventh story window right before Christmas, or jumping into the lake on a dare right after the holidays for example."

Both boys grimaced, and then George grinned. "That was a good dare."

"Except for the minor illness I sustained afterwards."

"Yeah, but Madam Pomfrey cured your flu in two days, didn't she, so it's fine."

"Whatever. You can go back to the castle now we've established that I'm not meeting up with Cedric and that danger is an inherent part of my life."

"No thanks. We want to see where you're going," Fred informed me, coming forward to link arms with me. I flashed him a brief, condescending grin, and then changed into my wolf form and set off at a dead sprint for the forest. I bayed as I went, and as I had hoped a light flashed on in Hagrid's cabin and he emerged with a crossbow just as I made it into the darkness of the forest. The light from the lantern he held up illuminated Fred and George, and I pulled my lips back in a wolfish grin as he started telling them off.

I turned silently as a whisper and padded deeper into the forest, heading for the mountain as I had with Nova the last time I had seen her, almost six months ago now. I made my way deep into the forest, and at one point came across another wolf, a real wolf. He came up to me with a growl, and I greeted him softly.

"How are you, friend? Do you know what strange terror haunts these woods?"

It is imperative to be as polite and formal with wild wolves as possible, as you never know what particular feelings they have towards strangers. This one was friendly.

"He wanders cloaked among the trees and slays the unicorns," he replied quietly. "Let me show you the body of one found dead less than a week ago."

I followed him, shadowing his footsteps, the two of us moving like water under the trees, silently making our way towards the dead unicorn. As I followed, I found myself wondering why I had never seen another wolf in real life, apart from at the zoo, and whether I would find them all as easy to talk to as this one.

"What's your name?" I ventured after about five minutes of dead quiet. I don't think I've ever gone longer than five minutes without talking, so I kinda felt like I had to say something.

"Czar," he replied, tossing a glance back over his shoulder. "I have lived in this forest for five years, and never seen a wolf like you. You smell of magic, and unnaturalness, but you appear as one of us, and if the Goddess has chosen to walk among us who am I to judge?"

I smiled again. "I not a Goddess. I am half human. My father is a werewolf, and I inherited the wolf genes. I can change forms. My name is Alyss."

"That explains much," he said enigmatically, and I shook my head and followed him for a further few minutes. I was about to ask if we were nearly there when he sank down into a hunting pose and crept forward. I copied him exactly, slinking across the leaves towards the danger. When I finally saw what had scared him, I was confused. A pure, bright-white unicorn was grazing softly on a carpet of moss.

"What - " I began, but he silenced me instantly just as my ears twitched towards a new sound – a slithering, like a cloak across the floor. I flattened myself further into the ground, all senses alert. But then a darkness exploded across the clearing, and I gasped in sudden horror as another shape shot from the undergrowth and charged the dark figure. I recognised Nova by her long, white-blonde hair immediately, and didn't think twice. I leapt at the figure, catching it by the material of its cape, and then sank my teeth into whatever lay under the cloak. I was aware of Nova kicking and hitting the figure, and then Czar joining into the fight. I let out a wild growl of outrage as the figure hurled Czar across the clearing, and then howled long and loud, letting go of the cloak, hoping help would arrive. I flicked up into human form for an instant while the creature under the cloak was diverted by the unicorn, who reared up with a scream of terror, and then crashed away into the forest once again, followed by Czar who obviously intended to make sure it escaped.

"Nova, shout for your brother!" I called, and then switched forms again as the creature turned for me.

"Alyss?" Nova asked, astonished. I yelped in desperation as the creature made for me, dancing backwards and forwards out of its reach as it attempted to catch me.

"RONAN!" Nova yelled as loud as she could, almost shrieking. "HELP! RONAN! MOTHER! FATHER! UNCLE FIRENZE!"

I added a howl to her voice as I moved, slipping and sliding left and right, thinking I was somehow going to get out of this. Then the creature's hand came out from under the cloak and drew a wand. I didn't think twice, changing back into human form and pulling out my own. I faced the person – for it had to be a person under there – and waited, my blood roaring in my ears.

"Ssssilly child," the person hissed, their voice reminiscent of a snake, yet high and icy-cold at the same time. I stayed stock-still, refusing to show fear, with my wand raised. The person raised their wand just as Nova charged them from behind, knocking them over and knocking their wand right out of their hand. Nova stamped on the wand with a hoof, hard, and it snapped cleanly in two.

"Quick, Alyss," she said, and I ran toward her and vaulted onto her back, clutching onto her shoulders. She galloped off into the undergrowth, and I hung on desperately. Neither of us dared to glance back, merely focussing on getting away. After a while my ears caught the sounds of other hooves, and I hurriedly rolled off of Nova's back and we both halted. I knew her brother would kill her if he found her carrying a human.

Sure enough, we were both soon surrounded by a ring of centaurs, their bows aimed at me.

"Ronan!" Nova cried in great relief, running to hug her brother. He pushed her away, and kept his bow levelled firmly at me. I eyeballed him back, my chin stuck up in fierce defiance.

"Ronan, how dare you? Alyss just saved not only my life, but the life of a unicorn. You should be thanking her, not trying to kill her!" Nova exclaimed, trying ineffectively to push his weapon away from me.

"You do not belong in this forest, human," Ronan said in his deep voice, and I scowled.

"I have just as much right to be here as you," I informed him angrily, crossing my arms.

"This is our forest. Humans have no place here."

"Ronan, did you not hear me? You should be using your energy chasing down the thing that just tried to kill us, not wasting it where no crime has been committed." Nova was angry too, ignoring her mother who tried to pull her out of the circle of arrows. She yanked her arm away and hurried to stand in front of me, right in the path of Ronan's arrow.

"Shoot Alyss, brother, and you shoot me too. I will not let you harm my friend."

"Friend?!" Ronan exclaimed, shocked.

"Yes, my friend. She came deep into the forest two years ago in her wolf-form, and I admire her for that. She is human, yes, but also a creature of the wild forest, and therefore has as much right to be here as you. There are no other people in this godforsaken place of the right age to be my friend, so I chose her. Go on, kill us. But you will have killed two sisters, for she is a part of our world."

Ronan deliberated for several long, tense seconds.

"She may live. But she must leave."

I uncrossed my arms, pushed Nova out of the way and strode right up to him, knocking his bow out of the way and poking him in the chest.

"You listen to me, Mr Centaur. No-one tells me what to do, whether they be wolf, centaur or human. I never have taken heed of rules and laws, and I'm not about to start now, especially with you. You need to get over yourself and just leave me be, okay? Your sister can be friends with who she likes; it's her life she's living. So you just be quiet and learn some manners, alright?"

He was stunned into utter silence, and I waited tensely.

"She is wolf, alright. Her spirit is as fiery as any of our lupine friends that wander under the trees here. You may be her friend, Nova, but she may never bring another human into the forest."

The other centaurs all lowered their bows, and both Nova and I stood there in shock at Ronan's sudden mood-swing. A black centaur behind him made to speak, but Ronan silenced him, instead striding up to Nova and plucking a long white hair from her tail. Then he took one from his own, and each centaur there offered a hair from their tails, too. Ronan handed them all to Nova, and she glanced at me, then quickly pulled my hair out of its plait and tugged a hair from my head.

"Ow!" I complained, holding my head as she made short work of plaiting all the hairs together.

"Hold out your hand," she said, and I obligingly held out my right wrist, my bracelet dangling. She quickly secured the new bracelet around my wrist, tying up the ends, and I pulled out my wand to seal it on before giving her a huge hug.

"Thank you," I said, and then released her and turned to Ronan.

"Thank you, too, sir," I said, attempting a curtsey, aware that I had just been awarded a huge honour. He almost smiled.

"If any centaur challenges your passage ever, show them that bracelet. It is the seal of your freedom to come and go. Only two other humans have ever earned the right to wear a bracelet made from the hairs of the entire herd of centaurs, and they are Godric Gryffindor and Albus Dumbledore."

I curtseyed again, slightly overwhelmed, and then Ronan spoke once more.

"We will escort you to the outside again, human, and you are free to return when you wish."

Three centaurs silently stepped up beside me as Ronan drew Nova off to one side, and I called a goodbye before flicked down into wolf-form, eliciting murmurs from the herd, and then set off at a run into the forest again.

It took roughly half an hour to reach the edges of the forest, and then the three centaurs that had accompanied me wheeled and galloped away without a word. I watched them go, and then loped back up to the castle, sneaking in the same window I had left from, and heading straight up to Gryffindor tower. Apart from a small run-in with Mrs Norris, who made the mistake of hissing at me (which earned her a nip and an awful scare) I was unhindered.

I changed back into human form as I reached the Fat Lady, and she was rather rude when I woke her up, but let me in nevertheless. When I entered the common room Fred and George were fast asleep by the fire. I toyed with the idea of just leaving them to sleep, but they looked really uncomfortable, and besides would probably kill me in the morning if I left them now, so I went over and shook them awake.

"Wha- Alyss! Where have you been? Why are there all leaves in your hair? Why do you have scratches on your hands?"

I allowed them to push me into a seat, and then after they carefully examined me and reassured themselves that I was practically unhurt I pulled them down to sit next to me.

"Where have you been?" Fred asked, pulling the leaves one by one out of my messy hair. I sighed.

"In the forest. Someone was trying to kill a unicorn, so Nova and I stopped them, but then they tried to kill us." I shivered as I remembered the menacing voice and how close I had come to death. Fred and George tucked me closer into them, moving so I was snuggled right between them.

"How did you get away?" Fred asked at the same time that George said, "Who was the person?"

I smiled. "Well, George, I don't know who it was because they had a cloak and hood on. And Fred, Nova broke the person's wand and then we ran away, right into her herd. They were going to kill me to, but Nova persuaded her brother to let me live. And check this out!" I said suddenly, holding up my right wrist for them to examine the second bracelet that now hung there. I studied it too. It was full of colours: white, grey, black, chestnut, a very pale yellow, brown and several that seemed to glow slightly blue and green, plus one glistening silver strand interwoven with the others that I recognised after a few seconds as a unicorn hair.

I wondered at that, but then remembered Nova plucking a hair from her top that had obviously come from the unicorn when we fought whoever it was.

"That's a unicorn hair!" Fred exclaimed, grabbing my wrist to gaze more closely at it.

"Yeah, I think Nova had it caught on her top and put it in."

"Okay, who's Nova? And where did you get all these horse hairs from?" George asked, and I grinned and reclaimed my wrist from Fred.

"Nova's my friend. She's a centaur, and she lives in the forest. I've known her since our first detention in first year, you remember? Well, I was heading to find her tonight when I saw the unicorn, and then her brother, Ronan, wanted to kill me but then he changed his mind and made me a friend! This bracelet proves it. Only Dumbledore and Gryffindor himself have ever had centaur-hair bracelets. There's one of my hairs in there too."

"That's so cool," Fred said after several moment's silence, in which I found myself suddenly exhausted.

"I know," I replied, blinking sleepily. I tried to fight sleep but then George started humming softly and it lulled me right into unconsciousness.

~x~

I woke up the next morning in Fred's bed again, and crept out before anyone could see me and back up into my dormitory. Unfortunately, Angelina was the only other person awake. She was sitting up in bed reading a book, and I tried to ignore her as I made my way across to my trunk where I had slung my uniform the day before.

"Where have you been?" her voice was suspicious, and I bristled at her tone.

"That's none of your business, really, is it?"

"So? Where have you been?"

I didn't bother answering, but I was more than a little annoyed.

"Have you been out with Cedric?" she asked, frowning. I grinned.

"Yes, I've spent the whole night having manic sex with Cedric. Was that what you wanted to hear?"

"Oh, shut up and get over yourself."

"No thanks," I replied cheerfully and made my way into the bathroom to wash. I locked the door behind me and stared into the mirror. I had no leaves left in my hair, but it was a total mess, very wild and looking exactly like I'd been crashing around in a forest for half the night. I sighed and got into the shower, turning on the hot water and letting it massage all the tension out of my body, then thoroughly washed my hair and scrubbed myself down, examining the small cuts on my hands and legs with considerable annoyance, and then stepped out and wrapped a towel around myself, going back over to the mirror. My hair was now plastered flat to my skull, and I started to towel it dry, but got bored and gave up. It hung down in messy curls and I just abandoned it as a lost cause and started getting dressed into my nice thick and woolly grey tights, skirt and shirt and jumper.

I emerged from the bathroom with my wet hair making a dark mark on the back of my jumper to find Angelina at the vanity table carefully applying make-up and wearing her school uniform very cleverly. Her skirt was short enough to look really good but long enough to not look slutty, and her jumper was close-fitting. She had done her hair really nicely too, and I scowled as she finished applying her make-up. Then she bounced off down the stairs and I was left glaring at the doorway.

"Hey, Lupe, what's up?" Keira said, getting out of bed, evidently having just got up. I turned to her.

"I'm sick of Angelina," I told her crossly, jumping onto my bed and swinging my legs as I sat there. "She's always trying to be better than me, and I don't know why."

Keira finished getting dressed and came to sit next to me on the bed. "Maybe she sees you as a threat?" she suggested. I stopped swinging.

"A threat? Why would she think that? I never intended to hurt her. I do now, but that's beside the point."

"Well, I was talking to one of the Ravenclaw girls – Kathy – and she and Angelina went to the same school when they were young. She said that at primary school Angelina was always the prettiest and the smartest and the most popular, and now you're rivalling her in those things."

I snorted. "Yeah, except the smartness."

"You beat her in most of the tests we have."

"That's because I make Fred and George help me revise, or cheat off them!"

Keira laughed at that. "I know, I've seen you copying. I don't know how the three of you get away with it."

I grinned. "When you're friends with Fred and George _anything _is possible."

Keira stopped laughing. "I think she's also jealous that you're such good friends with Fred and George. She really likes Fred and you're completely standing in the way of her being with him."

My grin vanished instantly, and my expression turned savage. "She can keep her manicured little hands off Fred, or I'll kill her."

Keira grabbed my hands to try to calm me down. "I don't doubt that you would, but what you should do instead is-"

"You're pathetic, you know that?" a voice said from across the room, and we both turned to see Alicia sitting up in her bed, glaring at us. I wondered briefly how long she'd been awake for, and then decided I didn't really care, and totally ignored her, turning instead to wake Isobel and Zoe up.

"Guys, c'mon, Ki and I are going down to get breakfast."

Isobel mumbled something and rolled over, and Zoe stumbled out of bed and staggered off into the bathroom. I was playing slapsies with Keira – a big mistake, because she's the only person that I can't beat – when they were finally ready. I gladly used the excuse to end the game, and as we made our way down to the Great Hall I examined the red marks on the backs of my hands with considerable surprise.

"You know, for a quiet person you're really quite violent, Ki," I told her, holding out one of my hands to show her. In response she held out one of hers which was almost as red. I grinned. "Okay, point taken."

"Hey, look at Mrs Norris!" Zoe suddenly said, pointing out the cat who was skulking near the doorway and as she turned I caught sight of a red patch where some of her fur was missing, and a small cut on her skin. I laughed.

"I really hate cats," I said, walking past her. She hissed up at me, and when no-one was looking I bared my teeth at her and emitted a quiet growl. She made a squawking noise of alarm and shot off down the corridor. I laughed again as we made our way down to where Fred and George were sitting with Lee, Daniel, Ben and Angelina. I scowled at her as we sat down, and she glared back.

"Hi, Alyss, long time no see, you sleepyhead," George said from the other side of Fred. I grinned.

"Well, seeing as how you caught me sneaking out and then when I returned kept me talking for about twenty minutes, thereby delaying my bedtime, that's hardly my fault, is it?"

"You snuck out again?" Angelina asked from opposite Fred, her eyebrows almost meeting, acting all surprised when I knew perfectly well that she was aware I'd been missing from my bed all night.

"Yeah, I told you earlier, remember? I went to one of the empty classrooms with Cedric and we had crazy sex all ni-"

"Hey, Alyss," said an amused voice from behind me, and I turned in horror to find Cedric staring at me, obviously trying very hard not to smile. I dropped my piece of toast.

"Oh … hi, Cedric," I said with a gulp, feeling more than a little stupid. He took my hand.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Uh … sure," I replied, following him out of the Great Hall, curious as to what he wanted. I could feel Fred's glare boring a hole into the back of my head, so I stuck two fingers up at him behind my back, and ignored the croissant he chucked that hit my leg.

Cedric tugged me down a corridor or two, and then into a broom cupboard. I grinned up at him once we were nicely stuffed in. There's really not as much space as you'd think in a broom closet.

"So, what's up?" I asked brightly. He sat down on a box of cleaning products.

"Well, there's this girl I really like but I don't know how to ask her out. And you're a girl, and you're my friend, so I was wondering if you could give me a hint as to what to do?" he finished in rather a rush, and I sat down opposite him, beaming.

"Who's the girl?"

"Penny Gray. She's in Ravenclaw."

"Hmm," I said, trying to infuse my tone with wisdom, really just finding the whole situation hilarious. Cedric, stuck with a girl? Never. "Well, I think you should get her some flowers, and just go right up to her and ask her on a date on our next Hogsmeade weekend."

He brightened. "You think that will work?"

"If it doesn't and she says no she's an idiot."

"Thanks, Alyss, you're the best."

"I know, I know."

"And totally modest, too."

"Oh, don't flatter me!" I replied with a huge grin, and then pushed the cupboard door open at exactly the same time as he tried to, and we staggered out, both of us chuckling like crazy. Unfortunately I tripped over something – probably my feet – and fell over … right at someone's feet. I glanced up to see Fred glaring down at me, holding hands with Angelina. I struggled to my feet, and sent him a glare as furious as the one he sent me, and then grabbed Cedric's hand and marched off in the opposite direction.

I started muttering angrily to myself in a complete jumble of the three languages I knew, and didn't notice until Cedric asked me what the hell I was talking about. I grinned sheepishly and then grabbed at his wrist to check his watch. He looked too.

"Shit, we're late!" he exclaimed. I let go of his hand.

"You go, I'm gonna ditch. I can't be bothered with Charms this morning."

"You want some company?" he asked, and I shook my head with a grin.

"I think if we were both missing from the same lesson Fred might quite possibly explode; and, as pissed as I am with him at the moment, I don't particularly want that to happen."

"Alright. I'll see you later?" he asked, and I gave him a quick hug, then darted off up the stairs, calling goodbye to him and almost falling flat on my face as I slipped, but I managed to save myself the embarrassment and stay upright. I made it back to Gryffindor tower without further mishap and hurried straight up to the dorm. When I got there I went over to my bed, sat down, and pulled out a book.

I got bored pretty quickly and instead went over to the mirror. I sat down in front of my section of it, and considered my reflection. I was thoroughly sick of Angelina always trying to be better than me, and I was very tempted to get all competitive. As I caught sight of all the make-up scattered over her section of the table, my competitive streak won out and I gave into the temptation. I picked up some mascara from Zoe's make-up bag and applied it carefully, and then put lip-gloss on my lips. Then I tugged my long, now dry hair out from the plait and tied it in a low side ponytail, pulling curls out to hang around my face.

I added a little bronzer (just a tiny bit, I didn't want to look orange) and then looked carefully into the mirror, and decided to try some eyeliner. I only put a little on, around my eyes, and then put all the make-up down. I was pleased with the result, and without regard to the vanity of the action pouted, then realised what I had done and blushed. That kind of ruined the whole effect – some girls blush and look really pretty doing it, but my whole face goes red, including my ears, and clashes horribly with my eyes.

Ick. I read until it was time to head for my next lesson, then grabbed up my books and shot out of the door. As I walked I was constantly having to brush my hair out of my eyes, and it irritated me highly, but I was feeling rather too self-conscious to just shove it all back. No-one stared at me or anything, but I was desperate to show Angelina just how good I was at playing her game. I entered the DADA classroom and plonked myself down at the back next to George.

"Hey, where were you last lesson?"

I shrugged. "I wasn't in the mood," I replied, crossing my legs and swinging my ankle crossly as I noticed that Fred was sitting in the row in front with Angelina and Alicia. I mentally flicked them all off before turning my attention back to George.

"You know, you shouldn't get into a competition with Angelina," he remarked, tucking a curl behind my ear. I scowled.

"Why not? I'm sick of her always trying to be better than me."

"Well, from my point of view there's no competition between you. Sure she may be more elegant, and smarter than you, but you're the prettiest girl I know, and you've got such a personality she could never take you down."

I grinned. "You know, you're a very smooth talker," I told him, and he beamed.

"I know, I've been practising. I want to ask Zoe to go to Hogsmeade next weekend with me."

I muffled a squeal of joy and threw my arms around his neck. "You are the cutest thing _ever_!" I gushed, and he battled his way free and held me away. By this time the classroom had filled up, and we were waiting on Quirrell.

Eventually he scuttled into the classroom and as he came I noticed him pulling the sleeve of his robe over what looked like a dog bite. I grinned again.

"Hey, d'you think our dear Professor's been messing with Fang?" I muttered in George's ear, and he glanced up and caught sight of the nasty wound just before Quirrell managed to cover it up.

"If it was Fang I'm buying that dog a year's worth of meaty bones," he replied, and I was giggling when a horribly familiar scent hit my nostrils. I drew the smell in, trying not to make it obvious, and furiously tried to catalogue it as Quirrell attempted to take control. George nudged me.

"Hey, what's up? You've got that painful thinking look on your face."

"I recognise a smell … it's the one from the person who tried to attack the unicorn last night."

I sniffed deeper, trying to pinpoint the source, and then Quirrell pulled out a wand. A _broken _wand, that had been sealed back together with magic. My eyes narrowed, and then widened.

"Shit, George, it was Quirrell! In the forest!" I hissed desperately, clutching at George's arm in terror. Because if it had been Quirrell in the forest – and I had no doubt that it _had _been – he knew my secret, and was quite possibly prepared to kill me. I sank down into my seat, shaking.

"How do you know?" George whispered back, studying Quirrell as he tried to teach the class about shield charms.

"The bite on his arm – I gave him that last night when he first tried to kill Nova. Then his _smell _– it's all sickly and fetid. And finally his wand – Nova stepped on it and snapped it last night, and that was how we escaped." I was shaking all over by the time I finished, and George took one look at my white, terrified face and raised his hand.

"Excuse me, sir, my friend isn't feeling well. Can I take her to the hospital wing?"

"Y-yes, of c-c-course."

"No – you … George …" I protested under my breath as George hauled me to my feet and all but dragged me out of the classroom. He led me up three flights of stairs and into an abandoned classroom. I sank to the ground.

"George, he tried to kill me last night," I said, blinking away tears of horror as I registered that a teacher I thought was harmless and useless could be so ruthless and dangerous.

"I know," he said, and pulled me into a fiercely protective hug. I nestled into him, trying to draw strength from his body. "Let's go tell Dumbledore," he said, trying to pull me to my feet. I stayed on the floor and shook my head fiercely.

"No! If we tell Dumbledore I'll have to tell him that I can change forms, and I want to keep that a secret."

"Alyss, if we don't tell him people could _die_! Could you live with yourself if that happened?"

I shook my head again. "No, of course not." I deliberated for a little while longer, and then got to my feet. "Alright, let's go."

We made our way up to Dumbledore's office and spoke the password easily. We had been sent up here many, many times. I patted the Gargoyle on the feet as I went past, and he winked at me before freezing again. George pulled me faster up the stairs.

"Jeesh, George, slow down," I complained, and then we reached the heavy door and George banged hard on it.

"Come in," Dumbledore's voice came from inside, and George dragged me hastily in. I was slowing, beginning to process my story and how unlikely it was that Dumbledore would believe us.

"Ah, you two again. But not the third of your little trio? Well, which teacher sent you up to me, and for what?"

"We weren't sent, sir, we brought ourselves," George explained, and pushed me into a seat, then took one.

"Well then, Mr Weasley, Miss Lupin, what can I do for you?"

George glanced at me, and then turned back. "Professor Quirrell is the one killing the unicorns in the Forest, sir," he said abruptly, and Dumbledore raised incredulous eyebrows, and then laughed softly.

"Forgive me, but the idea does not seem remotely plausible."

"That's the point!" George said, and then quietened. "Alyss can prove it, sir," he said, turning to me. Dumbledore turned his attention to me. I swallowed.

"Well, professor, I was in the Forest last night to try and find my friend Nova – one of the centaurs, and – "

Dumbledore held up a hand to stop me. "You are the friend of a centaur? Which one is Nova?"

"She's the young dapple grey on, with blonde hair. She's Ronan's sister, and Firenze's niece. I can prove I'm her friend sir, you can go ask her or Ronan or any of the centaur herd. They made me their friend."

Dumbledore was quite simply astounded. "Ronan made you a centaur friend? How? Why?"

"Well, he gave me this bracelet and said it marked me as a friend and gave me free passage in the Forest."

"Yes, but why?"

"I saved Nova from Professor Quirrell when he attacked her after she tried to save the unicorn he was trying to kill."

Dumbledore sat quietly for a few moments, obviously trying to process this ridiculous-sounding information, and then looked up at me again.

"I think you had better start from the beginning, Miss Lupin. How did you first make friends with Nova?"

I sighed and settled myself comfortably to do some serious talking.


	15. Monstrosities

**Okay, people, I'm getting **_**seriously **_**pissy now. If one **_**single more person **_**favourites me without leaving a review I will discontinue this story. I completely mean it. An author writes for reviews, and I'm totally sick of having 'so-and-so has added your story, Valparaiso, to their favourite story/author alert/story alert/favourite author list,' but no accompanying email saying 'the same so-and-so has reviewed your story, Valparaiso.' **

**It seriously doesn't take that much effort to leave a review saying what you liked or didn't like. And that doesn't mean just writing 'aw' or 'loved it!' or 'cute!'. **

**This is no empty threat.**

**I totally mean every single word I write.**

**Hell yeah, I'm being demanding. But I just finished a week of GCSE examinations and I think I have the right.**

**And thanks to my reviewers – you guys are the best! *hands round plate of cookies to reviewers***

~x~

"I met her in First Year, professor, when I went into the Forest with Hagrid on Detention. I sort of got … dragged in … by the forest, and I wandered off without realising it. Then I found Nova and we introduced ourselves and she told me about her friend's family who had been thrown out by her father. Then she challenged me to a race, and I agreed. We drew, and she – "

"You drew in a race with a centaur? How?"

My eyes flicked to George, wondering if he had a way I could get out of this, but he just shrugged minutely.

"I can turn into a wolf, professor," I said, and held my breath. He nodded as though he should have remembered, and gestured for me to carry on. I gave a mental shrug and carried on with my story. When I got to the part about Quirrell attacking first the unicorn, then me and Nova, Dumbledore frowned. He let me finish with the part about realising it was Quirrell in DADA, and then interlaced his fingers on the desk and looked me straight in the eye.

"Miss Lupin, I appreciate that you came straight to me with your worries, but I'm afraid your theory is quite impossible."

"It's not a theory, it's the truth!" I protested vehemently, but he held up a hand to stall me.

"Professor Quirrell is a Hogwarts teacher, and has no reason to be attempting to kill unicorns. What would his motive be? He is sworn to protect our student body, yourself included, and as such would never attack a student."

"But, professor – "

"No buts, Alyss. You are wrong. Professor Quirrell is not trying to kill the unicorns in the forest. If he was, I would know about it, I can assure you."

I scowled furiously and got to my feet. "I'm not making it up and I didn't imagine it. I know what I saw. You can ask Nova."

"That as may be, Miss Lupin, but for now I'm going to have to ask that you keep your suspicions to yourself and don't unnecessarily scare your fellow students."

George also got up next to me. "She's not faking it, Headmaster, she was really freaked when she figured it out."

"I don't doubt that she was. If I harboured such a disillusionment I would also be 'freaked,' as you put it. Thank you, you may leave," Dumbledore said, indicating the door. I stood in an outraged, furious silence for about thirty seconds and then whirled and stalked out of the door, George close behind me.

As soon as we were a safe distance down the corridor I turned and punched a tapestry.

"Git!" I fumed, blowing on my sore knuckles, and marching off again, shaking with the effort of holding my human shape together. George grabbed my hand to slow me down.

"Lupe, there's nothing you can do to convince him now. He thinks you're an idiot."

"Why doesn't he join Angelina's club, then?"

"What club?"

"You know, her 'We Hate Alyss Lupin Club'. She's already recruited half the Ravenclaws, and I'm beginning to suspect that Daniel may have gone over to her side, too."

George sighed and tried unsuccessfully to mask a smile. "Lupe, forget Angelina, she's not important. What is important is thoroughly getting revenge on both Dumbledore and Quirrell."

My eyes glinted. "I'll help with Dumbledore, but not Quirrell. He's too psycho for me to do anything to annoy him."

We shook on it, and then George linked his arm through mine and we skipped all the way back to Gryffindor Tower.

~x~

Boy, did we screw with Dumbledore. He knew it was us, but I knew that Fred and George still respected him deeply and would never go too far. I was all for blowing up the library or something, but they managed to reign my slightly pyromaniac tendencies in.

By the time the summer holidays came around my friendship with Fred was dwindling to a frayed string, due to the fact that he was going out with Angelina. Where he was, she was, and as I could barely stand to be in the same room as her I found myself more and more Fred-less, which wasn't at all alright with me, but there was very little I could do about it. Besides, I was just pleased with myself for having been proved right about Quirrell and didn't really notice how far apart we'd strayed until just before the summer holidays.

Boy did I show Dumbledore. Despite the fact that I had failed to add Voldemort into the equation, I had still been right, and he had been _wrong_. That fact gave me intense personal satisfaction.

I thought that maybe having Fred and George to stay over the summer would sort out all our problems, but then my dad whisked me away to holiday in Turkey for four weeks and by the time I got back Fred had Angelina staying.

My friendship with Fred was all messed up, and I blamed Angelina. So it was no small wonder that at the beginning of fourth year I made her my new target for practical jokes, switching from those oily Slytherin kids for a while.

She didn't take it well. I used all the old tricks on her – turning the hot water off in the middle of her shower, putting jam in her bed … okay, it was a bit cruel, but then she started spreading rumours that I was paying guys to have sex with me so I upped the ante and started hanging her books out of the window and occasionally totally creeping her out by leaning over her in the middle of the night and putting my lit wand under my face while making my scariest face and then poking her. She jumped about a foot every time, it was brilliant.

Then something started attacking the kids.

It was a terrifying thing to live through. I went everywhere with Keira, Isobel, Zoe, George, Ben and Lee, and we were all constantly on edge. Everyone was constantly on edge. I wrote to my dad every day to reassure him that I was still alive, but I was checking over my shoulder even as I wrote.

Then, one afternoon during the Christmas holidays, he informed me that he had withdrawn me from Hogwarts.

"WHAT?!" I screamed at the top of my voice, glaring at him furiously.

"I don't want you at risk, Alyss, you're all I've got left. It's only temporary, until whatever it is that's attacking the students is found." He was annoyingly calm, like he knew that I would react like this. It didn't stop me.

"How can you pull me out of _school_? What am I supposed to do?! I can't get into fifth year and OWLs without doing fourth year, and I refuse to be home-schooled. And I'm sure as hell not re-doing fourth year next year. The year below me are a load of turd monkeys."

"You're not going to be home-schooled and you're not going to have to redo fourth year. I'm sending you to Beauxbatons. You don't have a choice, so please don't argue."

I did anyway, screaming at him.

"How can you _do _this to me?! I _wanted _to go to Beauxbatons when I was ten, but now I'm fourteen and I'm bloody well staying at Hogwarts! It's perfectly safe with all the teachers around, and I don't go sneaking round the school at night any more, and I've got George to look after me anyway."

"Mind your language. Alyss, this thing is going to start _killing _people next, and I wouldn't survive you dying. If you're not going to calm down and be reasonable you can go to your bedroom."

I did, whirling around and pounding up the stairs, then slamming the door behind me and screaming again. On my bedside table, a photo frame shattered as my magic spiked momentarily out of control. The tears of rage that usually accompanied my screaming fits were beginning to run down my face, and I wiped them away as I crouched down to pick up the frame. The picture inside – of me and Fred – was undamaged, but as I looked at Fred's young, laughing face something inside me snapped and I ripped the picture into shreds.

I wanted my best friend. It wasn't fair that he had picked his girlfriend over me, his best friend, and I was gonna make him pay.

I don't know what plan exactly I had in mind, but I grabbed a piece of paper out of a notebook and scribbled on it hastily, then tore the note up. Screw behaving like a good child.

Then I shoved my wand and wallet into my jeans pocket and climbed out of the window and down the trellis. I shivered in the cold air; I only had a thin t-shirt on and it was winter, but I switched forms hurriedly, and set off in the direction of the Weasley's home, loping along at that special ground-eating pace.

Night came, and I kept running, trying to pound all the hurt and anger away into the cold, hard ground.

My breath puffed mistily into the air as dawn came around, and I still ran.

I ran for two days straight, but then my body demanded sleep and so I curled up in a woodland, my internal compass telling me that I was still on the right path, and slept.

The Sun woke me up and I stretched and yawned hugely, contemplating with considerable apprehension my empty stomach. I groaned and started running again, the emptiness of my stomach constantly coming to the forefront of my mind.

It was with great relief that I noticed the small village signposted at a crossroads, and I loped towards it, changing back to my human form as I reached the outskirts and striding confidently (but hungrily) towards the centre. There was a tiny café on the side of a cobbled stone square, and I entered eagerly, going straight up to the counter.

"Hi, can I have a full English breakfast with no beans, please, and a glass of orange juice?"

The lady behind the counter smiled cheerily at me and nodded. "Of course, my dear. Why don't you just sit yourself down at a table and I'll bring it out as soon as I'm done."

"Thanks," I said, and went over to a table, sitting down and stretching my legs out gratefully. I examined my reflection in the mirror on the wall as I waited. It wasn't too bad, considering that I'd been running through pretty much total wilderness for almost three days. My hair was a total mess, understandably, and I had mud smudges on one cheek, but I hadn't fallen or cut myself yet so I tied my hair back in a low side ponytail and rubbed at my cheeks to try and get the mud off.

Then the lady came out with a _huge _plate of bacon, eggs, sausage, mushrooms, hash browns and cooked tomatoes. I must have looked very hungry, because she set it down with my orange juice and my bill and watched as I dived in.

"I've not seen you around here before," she eventually commented. I slowed down a little.

"Yeah, I come from quite a way away. I'm running away from my dad. He wants me to switch schools."

"Ah. Are you sure that's such a good idea?"

"I _think_ so, but I'll be fine anyway because I'm headed to a family friend's house and they'll take care of me."

She nodded, looking unconvinced, and then left me to finish wolfing down (heh, wolfing) my breakfast. I sat back once I was done and rubbed my full stomach absently, sipping at the orange juice, while I counted the muggle money in my wallet. I had about fifty pounds – you wouldn't believe the exchange rate – and counted out a ten. The breakfast had only cost six quid, but it looked like the café didn't get much business so I just left the ten.

"Thanks very much," I said to the lady behind the counter. She smiled at me, although she looked worried.

"Don't be anxious about me, I'm fine. I can take care of myself," I assured her with my best blasé grin, and then left the shop, rubbing my arms to keep them warm until I was far enough out of the village to change forms again and start running.

The breakfast in my stomach felt very good, and I could feel the new energy radiating outwards, so I pushed on even faster.

I recognised the rock shaped like a butt poking out of the ground and carried on running across two more fields, then switched back into my human form, very much suspecting that some of the Weasleys were playing quidditch and would therefore be able to see me soon. I didn't want them to see a wolf and freak, so I shoved my way through two hedges and came out on another field, then jogged across it and forced my way through one final hedge, pushing through an invisible barrier that had been hiding the fact that four children were zooming around about twenty feet up in the air chucking a ball around.

George noticed me first, where I was standing by the hedge watching them with happy eyes. It really felt like escaping, coming here.

"Alyss Astraea Lupin, you are in _so much _trouble it's not even true!"

~x~

**Yeah, it was short, sorry! I'm still annoyed, and I was worried that my bad mood was seeping into my writing.**

**But a lot happened, so I hope you guys are okay with that!**

**Please remember my mini-rant at the top. **

**I'm one hundred per cent serious.**


	16. Run

"**(Don't have to live) A life of power and wealth  
(Don't have to be) Beautiful but it helps" – Love etc., Pet Shop Boys**

~x~

I rolled my eyes as George brought his broom down to the ground, and then as soon as he was standing I leapt at him and tackled him to the ground, giving him a huge hug.

"I missed you," I told him, lying in the waving grass. He grinned and sat up.

"Me too. But you scared us shitless running away like that. Your dad's going crazy, he's been up and down the country to everywhere he's ever visited with you and then returning here every couple of hours to see if you decided to show up. Why'd you run?"

I frowned up at the cloudy sky. "He wants me to transfer to Beauxbatons until the creepy booger-monster gets caught."

"No way!" George exclaimed, and I guess he was about to add something when Ginny and Charlie came shooting over.

"Alyss!" Charlie said, swinging me round like a little kid again. I giggled stupidly until he put me down, and then I fell over with dizziness and had to curl up until the world stopped rocking. When I could walk straight I got up carefully and then gave Ginny a big hug.

"Hey, Ginster, what's up with you? You haven't been letting your stupid brothers get you down, have you?"

"Nope! I just scored a goal against Charlie."

"That's because Alyss distracted me!" Charlie protested and made a grab for her. She dodged him, laughing, and then fell over a grassy hummock. We all started laughing at her, and I was going over to help her up when suddenly a hand caught my arm.

"Alyss, I need to talk to you," Fred said, his eyes urgent. I glanced at him, then indecisively back at where George was wrestling with Charlie while Ginny spurred them on, and then back at Fred.

"Fine. But you better be ready to answer for a whole lotta crap, Frederick Weasley."

He grimaced and dragged me off, back through the hedge I'd just struggled through. I gazed in dismay at the huge rip in my t-shirt that showed my vest-top and glared at Fred.

"Unnecessary."

"Whatever," he said, and pulled me towards the big oak that sat in the middle of the field, the blossom on it vainly clinging on. I looked at it when we reached it, and then with a sigh pulled myself up onto a branch and up into the next one, climbing higher into the tree with Fred following below me. When I got up to the almost-top, where the branches and leaves are thick but getting weaker, I stopped and got myself comfy in the crook of two branches, my legs swinging down on either side of the bough as I waited for Fred.

He appeared quickly and settled himself down in front of me, leaning against the thick trunk of the tree and studying me for a minute or two.

"So go already," I said after a couple of minutes of annoyed silence on my part and what looked like careful thinking on his part.

"Go with what? You're the one with a load of crap to spill, remember?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to remind myself not to lose my temper so early on.

"Yeah, that's right. You want the full truth about why I'm so screwy? You think you can handle it?"

He nodded once and crossed his arms to wait. I leaned back with my hand resting against the split branch behind me.

"Alright then, here's the deal. You're pissing me off intensely at the moment, Fred, and you have been for a very long time. Since before the summer holidays, in fact. Since you started going out with Angelina. Why did you do that, huh? You _know _how much I loathe her and how much she loathes me, and that being in the same room as her is something I prefer to avoid, and yet you _still _decided to go out with her? You're supposed to be my best friend, Fred, and best friends don't pick dates over mates!"

He unfolded his arms and leaned forward as I hastily blinked away the angry tears that were trying to escape along with my outpouring of bottled-up feelings.

"I didn't realise that's what I was doing, Alyss, I'm sorry. I never thought that going out with Angelina would mess us up so badly. I don't ever want to push you away or be the cause of you being unhappy."

I scowled. "I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that."

He swallowed. "How much do you actually hate her?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Well, you know how much you hate Cedric?" I asked him, and when he nodded I continued, "Well, take that, multiply it by fifty and you've just about got it."

"Ouch. I'm sorry. Would it make you feel better if I told you I broke up with Angelina?"

"Ye- what?! You broke up with her?!" My heart leapt within my chest, and I hurriedly tried to wipe any trace of triumph off my features. Fred nodded, looking maybe not so sad as I had thought he would.

"Yeah, I finished it. She was being so clingy and constantly trying to poison me against you. Okay, so you weren't my favourite person in the whole world, especially after the whole Diggory/cupboard incident, but – "

"What? What cupboard incident?"

"You know, when you came out of that cupboard with Diggory and I caught you. Remember?"

I stared at him in absolute incomprehension for a moment, then something clicked. "You mean that morning I first saw you with Angelina? Fred, he was asking me advice on how to best win over a girl he likes! Jeesh, you idiot!"

Fred looked stunned, and then over his features crept a smug look that I was sure I'd been wearing when he told me that he broke up with Angelina.

"What did you think we were doing?" I asked in exasperation, almost tempted to try to smack some sense into him. Not that that had ever worked before.

"I don't know … something a little more intense than date advice, that's for sure."

I sighed. "Fred, did I ever tell you how much of a retard you are?"

He grinned. "Yep, several times."

"Good."

We beamed at each other for a moment, glorifying in the return of our friendship, and then he pulled me into a hug.

I swear, it was the best hug I'd ever gotten in my whole life. He'd never given me such a good hug before, and I just melted right into it. My face was snuggled into his chest, and he had his head in the crook of my neck, buried in my loose (twiggy) hair, and his arms were holding me so tightly that I felt safer than I had ever felt in my whole life. My arms were around his neck, and I pulled him closer to me.

Then he raised his head from my hair and I raised mine from his chest and we gazed at each other for exactly 28.471 seconds and then our lips moved together and the best hug of my life turned into the best kiss of my life.

My hands moved from his neck into his hair, tangling in it, and his hands roamed up and down my back, pressing my body up against his. I felt so utterly and totally complete that some of the tears that I had kept penned back earlier escaped from under my closed lids and trickled down my cheeks.

Then, true to the cliché format of my life, it started to rain. I didn't notice the soft pitter-pattering on the leaves around us until the rain started to penetrate the canopy and a drop fell down onto my face, followed by more and more. I broke away from Fred and turned my face upwards to the green roof above us, watching as the tiny sparkling droplets fell down, gently flashing in the light before bursting on us and the tree that supported us.

I brought my gaze back down to look at Fred, and moved to kiss him again. After all, he was a pretty damn good kisser, and something was beginning to stir in me that I wasn't entirely sure of, but pretty sure I liked.

But he put his hands on my shoulders and held me away. Hurt washed through me, and he frowned.

"Alyss, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

My brain was slowly beginning to work again, and as the cogs wound up into gear his comment made less and less sense.

"Huh?"

"It's just going to over-complicate things. I'm so sorry for that. I shouldn't let my stupid boy testosterone take over and ruin our friendship. Can we just pretend like this never happened, please?"

Something about this was suspicious, and it showed in the guilty way he wouldn't meet my gaze. Then it clicked.

"You didn't break up with Angelina, did you?"

Without looking at me, he shook his head. I felt a hopeless kind of rage rise up in me, the kind where you're so mad you can't do anything with yourself, and I shut my eyes and counted to ten before I opened them again.

Then I punched Fred in the face. "I hope you fall out of the tree and die and go to hell, because that's only what you deserve, you little tosspot of a man-whore!"

Then I hurriedly clambered back down the tree, jumping out at the bottom and sprinting across the field away from the Burrow, not running towards anything, but running away from everything that was behind me.

So much for finding refuge at the Burrow.

~x~

Once I had run until I fell down, panting, I switched forms and stretched, then stopped to take note of my surroundings. I had absolutely no clue where I was, and all the curse words I could think of in all three of my languages were flashing through my mind in a colourful stream as I swung indecisively between North and South.

So I was totally lost in the middle of nowhere, something inside me aching where my heart was, and feeling incredibly pissed off.

Not the best situation I had ever found myself in.

So, deciding to head away from the heavy clouds to the North, I turned and headed South, feeling an infuriating sense of déjà vu. With angry grumblings both aloud and mentally, I aimed for home.

It took me twice as long on the journey home as it had to get to The Burrow, due to the fact that I stopped quite regularly or wandered from the path I was on to investigate something interesting sounding or smelling. At one point I found the most beautiful meadow, full of tiny violets just clinging to life in the face of the cold weather.

The highlight of the whole journey, though, was definitely when I came across a herd of wild ponies while I was crossing Exmoor. They watched me with wary, pricked ears and bright, watchful eyes that followed me as I moved towards them. Once I was close enough I flicked forms and approached them slowly, crooning in Greek, and I got almost within touching distance of the nearest one, its furry coat almost touching my fingertips, and then the whole herd bolted for safety.

I watched them go, jealous for a moment of their uncaring freedom, and wondered suddenly if I was up to some transfiguration.

I pulled my wand out, running my fingers along it and trying to assess whether the risk of expulsion was worth the bonus of being so totally free, and then realised that I didn't have a school to be thrown out of any more, having been pulled out of Hogwarts, and I sent power shooting through my wand as I waved it over myself and prayed that my heretofore strong transfigurations would be up to the complicated spell I wanted to perform.

"_Lindo angeli calrio ciela melchrophor alkari,_" I said, recalling the words correctly, holding my wand pointed directly at my heart. Nothing happened, so with more power behind the words I repeated them. Finally, totally frustrated, I yelled them, my hands trembling with the effort, and felt my whole being expanding and growing in strange places.

When I could think again, I realised that I felt sort of like I did when I was a wolf, only taller and heavier.

I swished a long dark tail and examined my hooves with interest, incredibly pleased with the spell I had been able to perform. Then I started running. It felt so incredibly wonderful to be free. I could run so fast I felt like I was flying, racing along the cliff-tops and tossing my head as I pranced around.

I traced the scent of the horses I had seen earlier, and came across the grazing herd at twilight. They watched me as I approached, their eyes fixated on me as I trotted forward. I whinnied, feeling stupid, and one of them neighed back, with what sounded like a challenge. I did my best contrite-and-surrendering body language (that I'd had good reason to learn) and waited.

A mare came towards me and sniffed all around me carefully, and then as though by some pre-arranged signal suddenly started butting me towards the rest of the herd. I went delightedly, finding myself absorbed within the herd. I regarded the grass with distaste, but then decided it was probably wisest to go with the flow and bent my head to eat.

I soon got the hang of the whole tearing-up, chewing and swallowing, but the taste was bland and kinda rough.

But I sucked it up, knowing that this was the best escape from the hell of a future my dad had created for me.

~x~

It took the owl two weeks to find me. Two weeks of wandering in perfect, blissful freedom. Then the brown owl quite literally fell out of the sky in front of me as I stood under a tree one night, half-dozing, my head drooping. I jumped about a foot when it crashed in front of me, but then, glancing round to check that the rest of the herd had wandered off, quickly focused on drawing my human shape back together and returned to my true form.

Then I untied the letter from the owl, thanked it, and withdrew into the woods. I lit my wand and sat down on a fallen tree to read the letter.

_Alyss,_

_You gotta come back. Fred's going crazy, I think your dad's about this - - far from committing suicide, convinced you're dead, and I'm so pissed it's not even true. Even the gnomes had picked up on the angry-vibes coming from the house during the holidays, and they're being even more destructive than usual, mum says._

_If you have any morals left I'm begging you to go home. You entirely fucked up our entire Christmas, and now we're back at school we really can't afford to be so worried about you when we ought to be watching our backs in case the whatever-it-is tries to kill us next. More kids are being attacked, and I'm beginning to worry that Harry is going to try to do something about it, like he did with Quirrell/You-Know-Who last year._

_So please, for the love of God, come back. Go home. Go to Beauxbatons, where you'll be safe, and come back here next year._

_And don't think that I won't find out where you are and come hunt you down to strangle you with my bare hands if you don't come back. I don't think I've ever been madder in my entire life._

_And where the fuck are you anyway?_

_Love (although angrily)_

_George_

_Xx_

_P.S. If you really are dead I'm sorry for being rude._

I re-read it a couple of times, quite unable to decide whether to be mad at what he'd written or to sit down and cry in self-pity. I decided on crying in the end, and hunched over, the tears dripping down my cheeks.

Jeesh, I was so pathetic, it's almost not true. So much for all the 'empowerment of women' crap. Right now I wanted a nice big strong adult to wander up to me and tell me that everything was going to be okay.

And that's when my mother appeared.

~x~

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys cheered me up after a crappy week, so have a cupcake. *hands round cupcakes* I just baked a load, and I'm not entirely sure what to do with the rest. I am now officially a domestic goddess. I baked forty-eight cupcakes single-handedly and they actually taste and look pretty fabulous. (Wow … that was conceited of me)**

**So, who wants the next chapter?**


	17. Vanessa

"**I try to hold on, but it hurts too much  
I try to forgive, but it's not enough to make it all okay." – Broken Strings, James Morrison and Nelly Furtado  
**

~x~

I watched her approach me with nothing but utter confusion running through my head. How the fuck had she managed to find me? _Why _had she bothered? How did she even find out I was missing? She came closer, and I unconsciously tensed to flee.

"Alyss, my baby girl, I'm so relieved I found you!"

She held out her arms as she got closer, a warm smile lighting up her features. I slid down from my tree trunk, the letter falling from my hand, and backed off slowly.

"What do you want?" I asked shortly, keeping half my mind on not falling over an exposed root behind me.

"I came to save you! Your father came to see me almost in hysterics, claiming you'd run away, and he was sure you were dead. I didn't believe him, so I pulled some strings and got a wizard at the Ministry to locate you. And didn't he do a brilliant job? It took him quite a while but as soon as he found you I apparated straight here.

I raised my face and looked her straight in the eye.

"Why are you here? You haven't had anything to do with me since that one time in first year. You haven't sent me anything on my birthdays, asked about my exam results, written to me at school … nothing. So I'd prefer it if you could just back off and leave me alone, _mum_." I threw the last word as a taunt at her and was about to change forms and run when her wand appeared in her hand and I was suddenly frozen in place, unable to move or speak.

"Your father obviously neglected to teach you manners, _daughter_. You do not have a choice in this matter. You will return to my home with me. I have engaged personal tutors for you, and I intend to teach the art of sociality myself. I will remedy your poor upbringing by making you worthy of being called my daughter."

Unable to speak, I glared right into her hard eyes and then spat at her. That earned me a slap, but it was worth it. As she gathered me up and prepared herself to apparate, I began to concoct the first of my many escape plans.

~x~

Her home was typically sumptuous, all shag-pile carpet, gold and marble, located in the centre of London. I gazed around me as we entered, pretending to be awed by the opulence but in fact busily taking mental notes of all possible exits and escape routes. There were quite a few. She pushed me into her study and shut the door behind her, then released the binding spell on me, but leaving the silencing spell on my mouth and throat.

I made an immediate dash for the door, screaming soundlessly, but she caught me with a spell before I was even halfway there and forced me back into the seat. I cursed furiously at her, my mouth forming the rudest words and insults I knew, aware she could understand them, my eyes all the while glaring with rage into hers.

"Alyss, behave yourself! Calm down and act with some dignity."

Anger was coursing through me, almost animalistic, and I was struggling with all my might to break free of whatever spell had me captured in the stupid chair. I kept swearing irately at her, totally ignoring her admonishments, but then suddenly my jaw wasn't able to move anymore.

As the rage inside me spiked, she sat down in a chair on the other side of the large mahogany desk and waited. It was a silent struggle inside me that I'm sure she was all too aware of. Eventually, regretfully, I let the anger dissipate. It was burning up all my energy pointlessly, and I was breathing hard when the red haze around my vision finally faded. Had I been able to move, I would have slumped down in my seat, exhausted.

"Are you done?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. My eyes rolled, the only part of me able to move. She smiled slightly and interlocked her fingers, gazing at me.

"Okay, my dear daughter, here's what is happening here. You are now old enough to be a part of my life. You no longer need hourly care and attention, and as such you will learn everything required of a life in the Upper Class of human. You will be taught magic, obviously, along with correct etiquette, how to dress, how to behave around different people, and most importantly how I work and what you can do to aid me in my endeavours. I will teach you the latter myself, but I have employed tutors for all your other studies. Do you have any questions?"

I just sat there, my eyes narrowed, thinking hastily as I tried to figure out the best way to get out of this. Unfortunately I had no brilliant plans forming, and so I let the defeat show in my eyes. She must have picked up on it, because she released me cautiously from the binding spell she had put on me.

I tried to speak, but the silencing charm was still in place. She smiled again as she watched my lips move soundlessly.

"You will be kept in silence at all times, except from when your teachers require verbal participation from you, when they will be permitted to release you from the charm and then replace it when they are finished. When you can prove that you can hold your tongue and not use foul language, you will be allowed the freedom of speech."

My eyes blazed with a madness that consumed me. Had it not been for the outstretched wand she held in her hand, her lips ready to form the spell, I would have killed her, I think. Instead I forced all my emotions down and nodded.

"Very good, daughter. You are learning. I will show you to your room now. Oh, by the way, while you are here, you are no longer Alyss Lupin. That was the name your father gave you, and being my daughter you are too good to carry any association with him. So from now on your name is Alyss Grey."

I shrugged. It wasn't like I could fight it anyway. I guessed my mother had remarried, and I allowed a small smirk to play on my lips as I considered the name. Uncle Sirius would like it: he had always said that I was like a younger, slightly watered down version of himself. Black into grey.

As I followed my mother silently through the huge mansion, ignoring the opulence around me, I considered. Being here was certainly a hundred times worse than being at Beauxbatons. Here I had no friends, no-one to talk to – no way to talk at all, which I was absolutely appalled at. Isn't freedom of speech like a basic human right? Then I suddenly stopped when I remembered my dad.

"What is it now?" my mother asked exasperatedly as I came to an abrupt halt. I tried to tell her, but the words wouldn't come. She smiled.

"Ah yes. I suppose it will have to wait until you can prove your merit and good behaviour."

I gave her the finger, and her eyes darkened. As I glared at her, it was like looking at an older, more elegant and polished, but much more basically wicked version of myself. She marched closer to me, and I refused to give ground.

"I mean it, daughter. If you do not conform to my rules you will never see your father or any of your silly friends ever again."

I lifted my chin and regarded her calmly, putting pity and arrogance into my expression, and waited for her to keep walking. She gazed at me for a while longer, but then turned and carried on.

Eventually she stopped outside a set of white-trimmed-with-gold double doors, and flung them open. I groaned inwardly at the sight of the room. It was, as with the rest of the house, totally over the top. There was a deep purple shag-pile carpet that my feet sank into, a white bed with a canopy and netting that looked like a wedding cake, and a huge mirror along one wall that reflected the whole room, making it twice as bad, and very pale coloured walls that were almost white, but had a slight pink/purple tinge.

Oh yeah, have I mentioned that I hate purple?

Yeah.

Crap.

~x~

Once she was done showing me the huge wardrobe with the _enormous _interior already stuffed full of clothes, and the huge chest of drawers also full to bursting, the gilded-silver-and-marble bathroom (that was actually rather nice) she left me to it.

"Dinner will be in two hours. Down the corridor, down the stairs and to the right. I have guests tonight, so use the servants stairs. You'll eat in the kitchen with the cooks. Don't disturb my party."

Then she swept out, and left me by myself. I stood and gazed around the horrific bedroom, my eyes sweeping over all the bare surfaces, remembering how full all flat surfaces at home and school were.

Then I sank to a little ball in the middle of the large room. I had never felt so alone in my life. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks but no sobs could escape. I could feel myself getting more and more worked up, but because I couldn't hear myself it scared me and soon my chest was heaving as I lay with my face buried in the heavy, oppressing carpet. I hated the silence, so I sat up, wiped my nose, and pulled my rather battered iPod out of my jeans pocket. I got up and placed it on the white desk that was below the window, and then pulled out my wand from where I had it stashed under my vest, next to my skin, and performed the spell I had perfected over the years for magnifying the sound and charging the battery.

Soft sounds soon floated into the room, and I stood for a while, trying to reorganise my shattered thoughts.

So, on the negative, I was trapped with my psychopathic mother in Hell, I had spent two weeks in the wilderness after being kissed and then rejected by my best friend/possible enemy, I had no way of contacting my father and friends who were probably worrying themselves into insanity, and I couldn't talk.

On the positive, I wasn't going to Beauxbatons, and here I wasn't likely to be eaten by a boogie-monster.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that the negatives considerably outweighed the positives. I eventually acknowledged that the tears weren't helping my situation, and turned my iPod off, then went into the bathroom. I gazed for a moment into the mirror that sat above the sink. There was another matching mirror on the opposite wall, behind the wall, so I could see the back of my head as well as the front. I have to say, it wasn't a pretty sight.

My hair was a matted mess, with leaves and twigs sticking out here and there. My face was muddy, with dirt smudged across my cheeks and forehead. My skin was pale white, and the scar on my cheek had re-opened yet again at some point, so it stood out in an angry red line. I stared at my reflection for a while, taking in my bloodshot amber eyes, that looked liquid with unshed tears, and just how dreadful I really looked. Then I quickly shed all my ripped clothes and stepped into the hot shower.

I let it wash away most of the dirt, and then set about cleaning myself with renewed vigour. I scrubbed shampoo and conditioner into my hair until I felt it might possibly be clean, then attacked my body with the lavender-scented shower gel. By the time I was finished I felt luxuriously clean.

I stepped out of the shower, and wrapped myself in one of the big white fluffy towels that was waiting on the rack. It was really soft, and I wandered out into the bedroom. It was truly awful. It was like the sugar-plum fairy had thrown up all over it.

Gross.

I dug through the mountains of clothes until I found a pair of jeans and a long logo t-shirt and baggy cardigan, then started towelling my hair dry. It was as I went over to the window seat that I noticed the owl tapping persistently at the window. I had to manoeuvre my arm pretty carefully, because it felt like there were some sort of invisible bars on the window, but I eventually managed to pull the rather cross-looking owl into the purple room of doom. It clicked its beak at me, and I carefully disentangled the letter from its leg, absent-mindedly petting its head as I sat down to read the letter.

_Alyss,_

_We heard about your mum coming! Has she got you all locked up? Are you going to get out? What's her lair like? _

_How are you? I'm missing you like crazy, and I'm surrounded by all our friends (nitwits though they are) so you must be dying of loneliness all by yourself. I'm so sorry. As soon as Fred and I can sneak out we're gonna come rescue you, we promise._

_Oh, and Fred told me what went down between you two. Yeah, __everything__. Don't worry, I hit him for telling your secrets, and then I punched him for being a shithead. I think he's slowly coming round to the idea that he might __possibly__ have behaved badly. He may be my twin, but I could quite happily kill him at certain times. If you want my opinion (and if you don't, you're getting it anyway) I think you two should just try to make up and be friends, like we all used to be. Do you remember those far-off days? And I've just realised that I'm not paragraphing, so you're going to find this hard to read unless_

_I do this! Sorted. But seriously, Lupe, we want you back real bad and we're gonna come bust you out, promise._

_Love you_

_George_

_P.S. I knew you weren't dead!_

I found myself grinning as I read through it, and although his mention of Fred made me annoyed, I couldn't help myself. I sat down at the desk, pulled out a quill and dipped it in the inkwell and started to write on the back of the letter, being without access to any fresh parchment.

_George! I'm missing you so much, thanks for writing to me. _

_Yeah, I'm all locked away in her house of horrors, and she's silenced me so only when my tutors (Yes, __tutors__! What the fuck?) need me to talk can I speak. It sucks. I can't scream or swear or anything. Is it okay that I really want to murder her right now? She left me with my wand, stupid cow, but I don't expect that situation to last. I might go kill her now, actually. Even jail's gotta be better than this._

_She gave me a purple bedroom. PURPLE. With all white frills and bows and … ugh. That will be my defence when they question me in court. "She provoked me severely by giving me a room that could only have been decorated by a four-year-old who wants to attract fairies to stay with her." Could you possibly find a good lawyer for me to hire? Thanks, I owe you a billion._

_Could you please send me the two pictures on my bedside table of me and my dad, and me and you and Fred and Harry when we were little? I need them with me._

_Also can you please tell my dad that I really miss him and that I'm sorry I ran off, and that I'll write to him as soon as I can find more paper to use. Only you'll need to send the owl back, 'cause I don't have one here. Or preferably a smaller owl, if you've got one, because there're invisible bars on my window, and this one got a little squished getting through. And tell Fred that he's a git and I hate him. Thanks._

_I love you, and I really need you to come save me! Only don't get in trouble doing it, 'kay?_

_Alyss_

_Xx_

_P.S. If I had been dead you'd have looked really stupid._

I attached the letter back on the owl's leg and offered it some water from the bathroom sink before taking it back to the window and pushing it out. It hooted rather angrily and flapped off into the distance. I watched it go enviously, and then turned back into the purple hell that was my bedroom.

The longer you look at it the worse it gets.

Finally the purple began to give me a headache so I left the room, drawing the double doors shut, and headed down the back staircase. I came out into a narrow, stone corridor, and walked down it until I reached a glass door that opened onto a big, old-fashioned kitchen. The three cooks that had been sitting down reading magazines all leapt to their feet and looked busy as I entered.

"Oh, Madam, we were just … wait, you're not Lady Grey!" the older cook exclaimed, coming over to examine me. I smiled and shook my head.

"So who are you then?" one of the younger ones asked, coming over to me. I pointed at my throat and then opened and closed my mouth a few times in an attempt to explain my situation, but they just looked at me like I was a total nutjob. Eventually I mimed wanting something to write with, and the third cook hurried over with a pad of paper and a pen. I scribbled hastily and the older cook read my note aloud to the other two.

"My name's Alyss and I'm Lady Grey's daughter."

The youngest of the three, who looked about nineteen, studied me. "Well, you look similar enough for her to pull that off. Why on earth would she want another child? I thought you were Vanessa at first."

I put on a puzzled expression, and the oldest cook led me over to the wide wooden table and I sat down.

"How old are you?"

I wrote 14 down on the piece of paper, and then 'Vanessa?' underlined.

"Well, I'm Mrs Braithwaite. Don't you know about Vanessa? She's Lady Grey's eldest daughter. She's six."

My jaw hit the floor. I had a sister? (Well, half-sister, but you get my drift.) Whoa. Did sure as hell not see that one coming. Mrs Braithwaite must have seen my shocked expression, because she kept talking.

"I can't believe Lady Grey has an older daughter. We knew she had been married previously, but she never gave any hint that she had you. Who brought you up?"

I recollected my wits enough to mouth 'my dad' at her, and she grinned. "So how did your mother manage to get you away from him? And why didn't she bring you with her when she left your dad?"

I picked up the pen again.

_She left me because she thought I was a freak. And she ambushed me. I ran away because Dad wanted to send me to Beauxbatons because there's a monster at Hogwarts, and I didn't want to go._

Mrs Braithwaite read it out again to the other two, and then turned back to me.

"So you're not here voluntarily?"

I shook my head furiously, and then pointed at my throat.

"She silenced you? Now that wasn't very nice of her. Here," she said, pulling out her wand and pointing it at my throat, uttering the counter-spell.

"I can speak!" I exclaimed delightedly, and gave the cook a spontaneous hug. "I can hear myself!"

Mrs Braithwaite laughed as I got up to dance around the kitchen, talking about complete crap, just so psyched that I could talk again. Eventually I reached the other two cooks.

"Hi, I'm Alyss. I'm really called Alyss Lupin, but while I'm here I have to be called Alyss Grey. Who are you?"

The younger one smiled. "I'm Carol. And this is Shanti." Carol had quite thin ginger hair that she had pulled back into a bun, and watery blue eyes that nevertheless glowed with warmth. Shanti was an incredibly pretty Indian woman, who looked about twenty-five, who had thick dark hair and big brown eyes.

I shook both their hands, and then headed over to the fridge.

"Can I have something to eat? I haven't eaten very well in the last couple of weeks – too many vegetables."

Mrs Braithwaite came over. "Sure you can, Alyss. I'll make you some pasta."

I grinned and bounced back into my seat at the table as the three cooks got busy again.

"Can I do anything to help?" I asked after a while of manic work. It looked like they were preparing the dinner for my mother's party that night.

"No, it's fine, dear. You just eat," Mrs Braithwaite said as Shanti put a big bowl of pasta with meatballs down in front of me. I fell on it with great satisfaction, and finished the huge bowl in about five minutes flat. Leaning back in my chair, feeling very full, I watched as a seemingly never-ending stream of waiters dashed in and out to collect trays of food and nibbles.

Then I got the fright of my life when the back door, the one I had entered through, opened and shut and a young voice piped up, "Mrs Braithwaite, can I have my dinner?"

I turned round, and found myself looking at the cutest little girl I had ever seen. She was dressed up with her hair pulled back into a half-ponytail and secured with a big velvet bow, and a cute little navy velvet dress. I got up, weirdly drawn to her, and she noticed me for the first time. She gasped to, and I went right over to her, kneeling down to be on the same level as her.

She looked almost exactly the same as I had aged six, only she had big blue eyes in place of my amber ones, and perfectly ringleted shoulder-length blonde hair instead of my long, messy dark hair.

"Are you Vanessa?" I asked her softly as she gazed at me. She nodded jerkily, looking very shy.

"Yes. Who are you? You look just like mummy."

"I'm Alyss. I'm your big sister."

The cooks had all stopped to watch us by now. Vanessa's eyebrows drew together.

"I didn't know I had a big sister. Nate's always been the oldest."

"Who's Nate?"

"My big brother. He's ten. He's mean to me."

"I have a brother too?" I asked, turning to Mrs Braithwaite. She nodded, and I turned back to Vanessa. "I'm so pleased to meet you, Vanessa. I only just found out I had a sister, too."

"Why didn't mummy tell me about you? Or daddy? He would have said if he had another daughter."

I sighed. "I have a different daddy to you, Vanessa. Mother left my dad when I was four because … because she wasn't happy. We were living in Greece, and she came back to England, and I guess she married your daddy straight away."

"So you really are my big sister?" Her eyes were suddenly hopeful, and her hands were twisting furiously in her cute little dress.

"Yes, I am," I replied, and she suddenly threw her arms around my neck and pressed her face into my shoulder.

"I'm so happy," she said, her voice muffled. Hesitantly, I put my arms around her, and hugged her back.

"I'm happy too," I said, and she drew back, putting her hands on my shoulders.

"Are you coming to the party?"

"I'm not allowed. I'm too bad. Mother says I have to learn to behave properly before I can meet her friends."

"I was naughty once. I ate an extra piece of cake. Mummy locked me in bedroom for two days."

I scowled. I didn't know finding out I was a big sister would awaken all this protectiveness inside me. "She locked you up? That wasn't very nice."

"No, but I'm not bad anymore so I don't get punished."

"Has she ever put a silencing spell on you?"

"No, but she threatened to when I had a tantrum last week. Has she put one on you?"

"Yes, and it has to stay on. Mrs Braithwaite was very nice and took it off for me, but I won't be allowed to talk very much. Mother did it because I swore at her. A lot."

"You swore?"

"Me and my potty mouth, eh?" I said with a grin, and she giggled, and took my hand as I got to my feet.

"C'mon, I want to show you my bedroom."

I hung back. "Is it purple?"

"No, I hate purple. It's blue."

I sighed in relief and tousled her hair. "That's my girl."

She laughed and I was almost out of the door when I remembered. "Oh, Mrs Braithwaite, can you put the spell back on? I don't want to get you I trouble."

"Of course, dear." She did so, and then as I rolled my tongue around to get used to the feeling, she called up the stairs after us. "Don't be late for the party now, Vanessa."

"I won't," my sister called back down, leading me back upstairs. She stopped at a set of double doors opposite mine. I tugged on her hand and she glanced up at me.

"What, Alyss?" I pointed at my set of doors, then at me, and she blinked and then understood.

"You have the room opposite me? That's so cool!" she exclaimed, and then opened her doors. I gaped enviously. It was a really pretty robin-egg blue, with a double bed with no frills or netting or canopy. I looked around, and noticed a sparkling similarity between her room and mine. She had nothing on any of her surfaces.

I swept a hand along one of them, and turned questioning eyes on her. She shrugged.

"Mummy says it's bad to collect things, because only really expensive jewellery is worth showing off, and I'm too young for any of that."

My temper rose, but I fought it down, expressing my anger with a couple of choice swearwords that Vanessa couldn't hear but seemed to understand anyway.

"You shouldn't swear like that, Alyss, because mummy and daddy hate swearing."

I shrugged to indicate how little I cared, and then went over to the window, pushing it open. I stuck my hand out, delighted to discover that there were no bars. I looked around and found a drainpipe running down about a metre to the right, got up onto the windowsill, and clambered onto it.

"Alyss, where are you going?" Vanessa called after me, but I didn't really register her comment, intent only on freedom. I made it to the front gates before I felt an odd tugging at my midriff, brief blackness, and then I was standing right in the middle of the entrance hall, surrounded by milling people, who gazed at me with intense surprise.

I swore silently again, and headed up the staircase at a dead sprint. I made it halfway along the corridor to the West Wing where my bedroom was before I ran smack into my mother.

"Alyss!" she said, and backhanded me across the face. I stumbled backwards, and caught sight of Vanessa's scared face peeking around the corner. I winked at her, and got to my feet, brushing myself off, refusing to acknowledge the sting where her hand had made contact with my skin.

'Bitch,' I mouthed at my mother, and she pulled out her wand.

"I knew the instant you tried to leave, Alyss. The wards around this house ensured that you ended up back where you belong – inside. Do not try to escape again. You will regret it even further next time."

Then she swept past me, dressed like a queen in dark green, and I stuck two fingers up behind her back and headed down the corridor to Vanessa.

"Are you alright?" she asked, pulling me back along to my bedroom. I nodded and grinned.

"She hits me like that sometimes. It hurts."

If only she knew that I tended to hurt myself much worse on a regular basis, she wouldn't worry quite so much. So I just shrugged again.

"Well, what are you going to do now?" she asked. I pointed at her, then down to where the party was, and then at myself and mimed going to sleep. She smiled.

"Okay, night night. I'll see you in the morning. You will need to wake up at six. Mummy likes us – me and Nate – to go for a short walk, then a horse ride before breakfast, and then our lessons start straight after breakfast. I'll come wake you up tomorrow, okay?"

I nodded, and gave her a gentle shove downstairs. She waved to me before heading off. I went into my bedroom, turning off the lights so I couldn't see the horrific room as well, and changed into some pyjamas before getting into the hideous bed and going to sleep.


	18. Melman

"**And when I'm gone  
Who will break your fall?  
Who will you blame?" – Watch Over You, Alter Bridge**

**And here it is: chapter 18! Hope you all enjoy it :D **

**I'm gonna dedicate this chapter to everyone who has no idea this story exists, because it's more fun that way.  
**

~x~

Despite the monstrosity of my bedroom, I slept through the night. The bed, hideous as it was, was really very comfortable and had the type of pillows that you just sink right into.

I was woken far too early the next morning by a small hand shaking my shoulder. I groaned, got creeped out when I couldn't hear myself, then my eyes flew open to look straight into an amused pair of blue ones.

"C'mon, Alyss, you have to get up now. We have to go for our walk and then a ride. I'll put the clothes out for you."

I staggered out of bed and shook my head. I was so tired I couldn't really think straight, but I stumbled over to the wardrobe, pulled out a pair of faded jeans and put them on, then found a shirt and fitted jumper to wear.

"Mummy won't like that," Vanessa piped up, "we're supposed to wear jodhpurs and puffa jackets."

I looked at her. She was indeed wearing pale beige jodhpurs, a brown jumper and a blue puffa over the top. She had a crop and velvet-covered hat in one hand. I shrugged and pulled on the pair of long riding boots I could see in the bottom of the wardrobe. Then I snatched up a cowboy hat and went into the bathroom.

I splashed water over my face, dried it, tied my hair back into a plait, and then went back out to Vanessa. I took her hand, and she led me out, down to another door and out into the grounds. She headed over to a stockily-built young boy, who also had blonde hair, but brown eyes.

I stuck my hand out to greet him.

"This is Alyss, Nate. She's our half-sister," Vanessa explained. Nate rolled his eyes, and was turning away when I caught his hand and shook it firmly, also rolling my eyes. I let it go and he raised a hand to hit me.

"Don't touch me! You have no right."

'Like hell I have the right!' I mouthed, but he didn't understand and took a swing. I dodged easily and had him pinned to the ground in about two seconds. Don't say that fighting with Fred didn't teach me anything. I smirked as he lay regarding me with considerable shock, then let him up, dusting myself off.

"It is beneath me to fight you," Nate said, getting up. "You may be my mother's daughter, but you are the child of a poor man, and as such I will not mix with you."

I gave him the finger and took Vanessa's hand, dragging her off. He chased after us.

"Let go of my sister, you freak!" he said, kicking me in the back of my leg. My eyes flashed with pain that quickly turned to complete fury, and I leapt for him. I tumbled him over and over, kneeing him in the stomach, and my hands were almost at his throat when a spell caught me and lifted me off him to hover in the air several feet away, about half a metre of the ground.

I struggled furiously against the restraint, but then a deep voice had me frozen in surprise.

"Who are you, and why the hell were you trying to kill my son?"

I twisted my head to see a tall, blonde man pacing towards me, wand outstretched, his other arm around Vanessa as she walked next to him. I clenched my teeth and struggled harder. Vanessa whispered something to him, and I was freed. I landed hard and got up, desperately trying to remember where I had seen this man before.

"So you're Thalassa's eldest daughter, are you? I've heard an awful lot about you," he said, reaching me. "I'm Lord Grey, her husband. You may call me Athan." He stuck out a hand and I shook it warily, then released it and backed off a little.

"I am a very gentle man, but if you ever hurt my son again I will kill you," he said, with no hint of humour. I swallowed, still thinking furiously. Then, as he bent down to whisper into Vanessa's ear, I had it.

He was a Death Eater. That night – the night they came for us, just as we were apparating away – his mask had slipped and his face had shown for an instant. I took another step away from him. Athan Black. Uncle Sirius' cousin. The Death Eater responsible for the murder of an entire wizarding family. For a brief moment, pity for my mother flashed through me as I realised what she had gotten herself into.

Although his surname had changed – I suspected he had changed it to escape persecution – I knew him. I felt my wand tucked inside my clothes and readied myself to reach for it. He glanced up from Vanessa.

"Vanessa will take you to the stables. You have no time for a walk this morning."

Vanessa came back to take my hand and led me off. I hurried away from the Death Eater as fast as I could, and was surprised when Vanessa tugged me to a halt.

"We're here."

I glance around. Oh yes, so we were. Inquisitive equine heads stuck over the half doors, and I absently reached up to pet the nearest one. A groom came running out of a tack room somewhere. He was very young – perhaps sixteen, and I wondered what he was doing not in school. He had brown hair and green eyes, and he was actually very attractive. I let my hair down before he noticed.

"Good morning, Miss," he greeted Vanessa first, and then turned to me. His eyes ran me over quickly, and I was left feeling warm. "Who's your friend?" he asked Vanessa, but his eyes met mine and didn't leave them.

"She's my sister. Her name is Alyss. Mummy put a silencing spell on her because she was swearing too much."

His eyes left mine and he grinned. "Sounds like my kind of girl. Anyway, Vanessa, Sprinkles is tacked up over there. Which horse should I get for your sister?"

Vanessa turned to me. "Have you ever ridden before?"

I shook my head, and the groom nodded. "I'll get Blake out for her and put him on a lunge."

He headed off, and I was left gaping rather unattractively after him. Vanessa grinned up at me.

"That's Damien. Isn't he brilliant? He's so good with horses. Daddy wants to breed and train the best horses ever, and then he's going to enter them in the muggle races like the Gold Cup. And Damien's so good that Daddy pays for a tutor for him so he can work with us."

She kept chattering away about the various races her Death Eater daddy was planning to enter his horses in as she led me over to a short, fat, merry-eyed brown shetland pony. I gave her a leg up into the saddle and she gathered the reins up like a pro.

Ah, hell. I was gonna make such a fool of myself in front of a really cute guy. I mouthed 'help me' at Vanessa, and she grinned again, putting her riding hat on.

"Hold the reins like this," she demonstrated, "and sit deep into the saddle. You need to feel the horse moving beneath you and move with his stride. And most of all don't worry about falling off, because then you'll tense up and _definitely _fall off. It doesn't matter if you do, because you're a beginner anyway."

I gulped. The prospect of trying to stay on a horse was far more terrifying than the creepy, murderous Death Eater wandering around. Then Damien appeared round the corner leading the biggest horse I had ever seen.

As he reached me, I was staring in horror at the huge horse. He grinned and pulled out his wand.

"I guess I'm like your tutor, right? Because I have to teach you how to ride? And your mother said any tutors that require verbal participation from you can release you from the spell, so here you go."

He performed the counter spell and the first thing that left my mouth was, "That's the biggest fucking horse I've ever seen."

He laughed, and I blushed. "Uh, I mean … he's kinda huge."

"That's okay. Blake's the gentlest horse we've got here, and he'll go easy on you. Now, let me give you a leg up," he said, and I went over to the ginormous horse, that blew into my face and regarded me with what looked like amusement. **(1)**

Damien threw the reins over Blake's head and then came round to stand behind me.

"Stick your leg out and I'll lift you up."

I did as ordered, and with strong arms he flung me up into the saddle. I clutched onto the front bit, and then he pushed my feet into the stirrups. I was too freaked out about being up on the horse to notice how close the cute guy was standing to me. I gingerly let go of the saddle and picked up the reins, holding them like Vanessa had shown me.

Damien got up onto his own horse, a pretty white mare that was only marginally shorter than my elephant, and he picked up the lead rope.

"Well done, you've got the grip right. Now just relax, because Blake will pick up on your tension and get freaked."

I relaxed. After all, I was guaranteed to fall off at some point or another, so I might as well just enjoy the time I had before I injured myself. The little Shetland, Sprinkles, was nudged forward by Vanessa to trot next to us. I laughed. Sprinkles had such short legs that he was having to trot quite fast to keep up with Blake's long, easy stride, and it looked like Sprinkles could walk beneath Blake's belly without having to lower his head.

As we went out into the huge grounds, I settled down, enjoying the view that being so high up gave me. I could feel Blake's muscles sliding away under me, and my two-week long experience of being a horse allowed me to know how his stride would jog me and adjust.

"Hey, you're not bad," Damien said after a few moments. "Let's try a trot."

"Shit!" I said as I was bounced around like one of those bug-up toys. Without thinking I kicked Blake forward into a canter, and sighed in relief. It was a whole lot easier to sit to that than to the crazy bouncy trot.

I glanced down next to me, and started laughing so hard at Vanessa I had to hold on to the saddle to avoid falling off. Poor little Sprinkles was galloping his little heart out, sprinting flat out in order to keep up with the bigger horses.

Eventually, though, Damien pulled his horse up, and Blake slowed down so abruptly that I went flying right over his (very surprised) head.

"Ah, hell," I said, struggling to sit up, completely winded. Damien was off his horse with Vanessa close behind him so fast I almost didn't have time to blink.

"Are you okay?" Damien asked, kneeling down next to me. I just made a funny sort of gasping noise in reply. Vanessa grinned.

"She's just winded. Look." She whacked me in the back and I drew in a huge gulp of air with relief.

"Shit, that hurt," I said once I could breathe properly again, and they both laughed.

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you I was stopping," Damien said. I put my hand on his arm.

"It's no big deal. My friends at school hurt me way worse all the time. Fred's put me in the Hospital Wing for weeks at a time before."

"Oh, okay."

He helped me to my feet, and I took his hand gratefully to allow him to pull me up. Vanessa had headed off to talk to Sprinkles, and Damien and I headed back over to our horses.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked me as we walked. I smiled and shook my head.

"No, I don't. Fred and George are way too overprotective to allow me to have one," I said with a sigh, missing them both – despite my current anger at Fred.

"Who are Fred and George? Your brothers?"

"No, I don't have any siblings," I responded automatically, and then corrected myself. "I mean, I didn't have any siblings. Fred and George are my best friends. At least Fred used to be, but I'm pissed at him right now."

"What did he do?" Damien asked as he helped me up into the saddle. I couldn't be sure, but I thought Blake was laughing at me. Stupid horse.

"It's complicated. I have another guy friend in a different house at school, and Fred thinks that Cedric's just being friendly because he wants sex. I disagree. But then Fred started going out with a girl I hate, and then told me he broke up with her, kissed me, and then informed me that he was still with her. That's when I ran away the second time. Which is totally lame, because if Fred hadn't done that I wouldn't have run away and I wouldn't have been caught by my stupid mother and brought to this hell-hole."

We were walking back towards the stables by this point, with Vanessa quite a long way ahead.

"Sounds kinda suckish."

"Oh, it is," I agreed, and smiled sadly. "I just miss all my friends – and my dad – so much. I want to go back to school."

"But isn't there a monster stalking all the students at the moment?"

"That brings me to the reason for my first escape."

I explained the circumstances to him as we reached the stables.

"Your life sounds hard," he said as he dismounted. I paused, lost in thought.

"No, it's not that bad," I replied after while. "It may have sucky moments but I'm really lucky in other things."

"Right," he said, and then came over to Blake. "C'mon, hop down. I'll catch you."

I threw a leg over and slid down Blake's side. Damien caught me and he pressed me against his body for two far too fast moments that passed quickly. Then he picked up Blake's lead rope, gave me a swift kiss on the cheek, and then backed off.

"You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen. I'm so glad you came here, even if you're not."

Then he was out of sight around the side of the stables. I sat down hard on a hay bale.

Well, hell.

_He _thought _I _was pretty! Definite score.

Then Vanessa bounded into my (rather hazy) field of vision.

"C'mon, dreamy, we have to go get breakfast now."

"Oh, right. Breakfast. Yeah."

~x~

The lessons were hell, like the rest of that place. The tutors were all either dull or sadistic, and because it was one-on-one tutoring I couldn't get away with any of the stuff I usually could in class, like not doing anything, or setting off dung bombs, or something.

My last class of the day was my magic lesson, and I was sitting fuming because so far all my teachers (including my mother) had refused to take the stupid silencing spell off me. My mood didn't perk up when the teacher that shuffled in turned out to be an old, smelly man who looked better suited to sitting on a street corner begging than teaching a Lady's daughter.

But then the man pulled out a wand and waved it over himself, transforming himself back into his regular features. A noiseless cry of 'dad!' escaped my lips, and I threw myself across the room at him. He gathered me up into his arms, and we were both crying.

"Alyss, my baby, I'm so sorry, if I hadn't tried to send you to Beauxbatons this never would have happened …"

I couldn't tell him it wasn't his fault, how happy I was to see him, or anything. With shaking hands I wiped the tears away and tried to mouth how happy I was.

"Oh right, the spell," he said, wiping his face, and pulled his wand out to release me from my bindings.

"Oh, daddy," I said, and fell into his arms again. "I'm so happy to see you! I missed you so much. And it's not your fault, it's mine. I should have just gone to Beauxbatons."

He held me close, and I sobbed into his smelly coat.

"I want to take you away with me, sweetheart, but I can't. Your mother and step-father will pull strings with the Ministry and get legal custody of you, and then I can't have you at all. I'm so sorry."

I swallowed. "No, dad, I want to stay." His face crumpled. "No, not because I like it better here! Because I have a little sister that I want to save. Mother is horrible to her, and mother's new husband is a Death Eater."

"A Death Eater? Oh, it's worse than I thought. I have to take you away."

"No. I won't leave Vanessa."

"That's your little sister? What's she like?"

"She's really sweet. She looks a lot like me except with blonde hair and blue eyes, and she's a whole lot shorter and cuter. Nate – my half-brother – is a total asshole, but I think I can deal with him."

"Language, Alyss," he reprimanded me. I grinned.

"Mother silenced me so I couldn't swear, so I use every opportunity to piss her off more."

"Behave yourself, sweetie, lull her into a false sense of security, and then I'll come back to get you out of here."

"Okay. But you know what? I know how you can repay me, which will get rid of the last of my angriness."

"Go on then, what is it?"

"I want you to teach me how to do a patronus."

"Honey, you know that that's a very hard spell to master."

"I know. I want to try."

"Okay. Well, the charm is '_expecto patronum'. _Try it first without a wand."

I did so, saying the words over and over to commit them to memory.

"Okay, now take out your wand," he said. I pulled out my wand from under my t-shirt, and he smiled.

"Why have you been keeping it there?"

"So she doesn't find it and take it off me."

"Ah, I see. Okay, I need you to think of the happiest memory you can and let it fill you up. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

I closed my eyes and thought hard. It would have to be a really strong memory, I knew that much. I thought and thought, and eventually came up with my memory from yesterday, of seeing my little sister for the first time.

"Ready?" my dad said softly from the other side of the room. I held my wand out, letting the happy memory fill me up from my toes to the tip of my head, and with as much conviction as I could said "_expecto patronum!"_

A couple of wisps of silver emerged from the end of my wand, and I swore. He didn't even bother to tell me off.

"Okay, don't worry, just try again."

I tried again. And again. I tried for forty minutes to get something more substantial than mist to emerge from my wand, and then I switched my memory. I dredged up that indistinct memory I had from when I was very young, of being surrounded by the people I loved most in the world. Dad. Uncle Sirius, Uncle James, Aunt Lily, Harry, Fred, George. Everyone.

And then I yelled "_expecto patronum!_"

I heard my dad's delighted gasp, and opened my eyes to find a shining silver giraffe looking at me.

That's right.

A giraffe.

I was expecting a wolf or a dog or something.

And instead I found myself staring right at a giraffe.

What . the . fuck?

And then the improbability of the situation hit me, and I started laughing hysterically. A giraffe. How typical of my weird, messed up life. Across the room, my dad was laughing too.

"Oh, Alyss, only you could have a giraffe as a patronus."

Between snorts of laughter I replied, "Well, my teachers are always saying I have my head in the clouds."

I had to sit down I was laughing so hard, and my giraffe faded away. I put my head in my hands to giggle. How ridiculous. A giraffe.

I got up again and, between laughter, managed to conjure it up again. It gave me what I perceived to be a hurt look, and I controlled my chuckles. It bent its head towards me and I gently put my hand against its forehead. It blinked up at me with big doe eyes.

"I'm going to call you Melman," I told it, and it blinked again.

"Honey, you can't name your patronus after a character from Madagascar."

"Why not?" I asked belligerently, watching Melman straighten up. He had to bend his head slightly to avoid putting it through the ceiling. Aw, bless. He was actually really cute. It was regretfully that I said, "Bye, Melman," and let him disappear. I glanced round to find my dad with his head in his hands, laughing so hard there were tears running down his cheeks.

Then someone knocked at the door.

"Alyss, it's dinner time now," I heard Vanessa say, and as my dad frantically retouched his disguise I called back to her.

"Cool, thanks, 'Nessa."

"I'll see you tomorrow, dad?" I asked quietly, and he nodded, back in his smelly old man disguise.

"I'll miss you, honey."

"I'll miss you too."

I hugged him swiftly, and he put the silencing spell back on me and then left. I listened to the door close, and then took a few minutes spare to think over my life before I headed to dinner.

I was a prisoner to my mother and her crazy sadistic second husband.

I may not ever see my friends again.

I was lonely, bored and upset.

My half-brother was a total wack-job.

My bedroom was purple.

My patronus was a giraffe.

I had a whole new wardrobe.

There was a really cute (older!) stable boy who thought I was pretty.

I had an adorable little half-sister who looked like one of those kids in adverts.

My life was kinda rubbish and kinda brilliant in roughly equal measures. I really missed my school and my friends and my duck (Oh my God Bucket! I hope he was alright!) but the people here weren't all evil.

After I had finished my philosophical few minutes I headed to the kitchen for dinner. Mrs Braithwaite waved me through to the dining room and I gave the heavy carpet and dark walls an annoyed glance, and then paced to take my place next to Vanessa. My mother sat at one end of the large table, and the evil Death Eater sat at the other end. I was opposite Nate, and it was only with the greatest effort that I didn't kick him under the table.

The dinner tasted great, but I could feel the eyes of the whole family on me, the interloper, so I scarfed it down as fast as possible and then excused myself. I went back up to my bedroom, took a shower and then went straight to bed. Ah, sweet sleep.

~x~

**I just thought you guys might like to know that at this point my cat decided to use my head as a launching-pad onto the window-sill. So now I have huge scratches down my face. And am in a large amount of pain. If you laughed at that you're going to Hell. Na, just kidding. It was actually pretty funny.**

**So, leave a review! Either to sympathise with my pain and share similar stories or because you liked the chapter. Doesn't bother me :D**


	19. Security Breach

"**Running back through the fire  
When there's nothing left to save" – Broken Strings, James Morrison and Nelly Furtado**

~x~

The letter from George arrived two days later. The owl he sent was in fact larger than the one before, and I swore as I pulled it through the gaps in the bars of my window. Fortunately it had arrived by night, and the rest of the household was asleep, so its outraged squawking didn't disturb anyone.

I pulled the especially heavy envelope from its leg and realised why this owl was so much bigger – the envelope was huge and bulging. I ripped it open and up-ended it on my bed. So much parchment fell out I was left gaping in shock. There were several photographs in addition to the many folded-up pieces of parchment, and I looked at these first.

There were the two pictures I'd asked for. There was also one of all my friends at school (including Cedric, to my surprise) all laughing and waving up at me through the camera. Then there was an old one of me and Fred and George from First Year, all of us laughing like crazy. Then me and Keira, swimming with the dolphins back in Valparaiso.

Then Zoe, Isobel and Keira all hugging, with pouty faces and a gap in their circle. On the back Zoe had written _'our group hug isn't the same anymore'. _I laughed at that and looked at the next one. I smiled at the memories it brought back. It was of me, laughing like a madman, my hair tied back into a pony-tail and Fred's hand round my waist, although you couldn't see Fred. That was last year, before any of the bad stuff, right before Fred dumped me in the lake.

And then a picture of Cedric and Fred together, looking uncomfortable. They'd both written on the back.

_Hey, Alyss, Cedric here. Look, we miss you so much we even agreed to have a photo together. Whatever Fred writes isn't true, by the way. (Although I want that hug :D)_

_Hey, Lupe! We kinda need to talk, read my letter. And yeah, look at the effort we made for you! Cedric only agreed to it because I told him that he could have the first hug from you when we finally bust you out. And because he's a goon, basically._

I laughed. I missed them all so much. I placed all eight pictures on my bedside table, propping them up against the wall. Then I turned to the letters. Ah, hell. It would take me all night to read them. But I was desperate to hear from my friends, so I opened the first one.

_ZOMG, Lupe!_

_I miss you! Come back! Escape! Our dorm is way too quiet now._

_The evil monster of doom is still around, but we won't let it get our spirits down. George says I can't write too much because the owl will die mid-flight, but I just want you to know that I am now going out with Robert Jules, in Ravenclaw, and he is _fiiiiine_! Yeah, so …_

_Come back! Everyone misses you like hell. And Fred and George are being more annoying than ever without you to keep them distracted._

_Zoe xx_

I grinned and pulled out my wand, conjuring a load of thumb-tacks, and pinned the letter to the wall. Then I opened the next one.

_LUPE!_

_I miss you like crazy. Our psychedelic sugar-rush days are behind us, because neither Zoe nor Keira are brave enough to join me and it just wouldn't be the same with a boy. Speaking of which, did Zoe tell you about her and Robert? He is amazing. I'm jealous. But also into Matt, in Hufflepuff now, but don't tell anyone._

_What's it like where you are? Is it true your mum's got you all locked up? Because that totally sucks. We want you back!_

_Write back lickety-split, please :D_

_Isobel xxx_

_P.S I put more kisses than Zoe, right?_

I added that one to the wall above my bed also with an ever-growing grin and found Ben's letter.

_Hey, Lupe, I know I'm not as friendly with you as the girls and Fred, George and Lee but I just thought I'd let you know that it's not the same without you at all, and I need some cheering up, so will you please come back? PLEEEAAASSSEEE? We all miss you, and even McGonagall looked miserable the other day when we were doing a particularly difficult transfiguration spell and Fred said 'Alyss would have been able to do this' really loudly. _

_Ben x_

Aw, he was cute. I pinned that one up and found Daniel's.

_Lupe, dude, you gotta come back. I get the whole lock-and-key situation, but all these miserable people are driving me absolutely crazy. And I miss you too, of course. Can't you just do one of your usual fabulous disappearing acts and come back? Pur-lease? For the sake of my sanity? Missing you and your laughter,_

_Daniel x_

While he may not have a way with words, he'd still bothered to write, and I smiled as I tacked his up. Then I found Lee's.

_Lupe, girl, come back. I miss you, and I want you to return to try out this new game I invented. It involves water balloons, chilli pepper, a chandelier and the Hogwarts corridors, dangerous though they are. So get your butt back here already. It's a four-player game at least and no-one except Fred and George will play it with me. _

_Lee x_

Well, each to their own. Nice to know I was missed for any reason, I suppose. I stuck that letter up too and turned to Keira's.

_Alyss, honey,_

_I miss you like crazy. I didn't realise how much I relied on you to help me. I'm so sorry your crazy-ass mother managed to capture you. How did she do it? Did she put you under a body bind? She sounds like a total hag bitch, and I'm so coming with when Fred and George come to bust you out. And no matter what Fred or Cedric say, _I _get the first hug. _

_This weirdo monster is attacking a whole bunch of people, and so we're all going round in huge groups to stay safe. When Fred and George are around and being their usual crazy selves it's easy to think about it as a joke, but alone in the dark in the dorm it's really freaky. Plus I can't get to the kitchen anymore for my midnight snacks, which totally sucks._

_I also thought I'd tell you that Harry is doing absolutely fine, although I'm afraid that a whole bunch of people are blaming him for opening the Chamber. Which, although considered hilarious by Fred and George, is not exactly doing his confidence any good. But don't worry, I got his back for you, even if he doesn't know it. It's a shame you're not here to beat all the bullies up._

_I really hope that you're okay and not being assaulted or anything. We're coming to get you soon, promise._

_Keira xxxx_

_P.S. I'm taking good care of Bucket for you!_

I sniffled pathetically and pinned her letter up, wiping away tears. The ache inside me grew worse as I turned to the next letter.

_ALYSS! _

_I finally got everyone to write to you! How good am I?_

_How're things going with the hag and her husband? Did they kill you yet? And I got you that lawyer, sorted. And I hope the pictures arrived intact. It was Keira's idea to send you the other ones, so I'm guessing you'll like that._

_Now, before I can start wittering on (although I need to tell you that your dad is banned from our house by mum for being a tool – mum said 'a very stupid man', but I temporised) GO READ FRED'S LETTER. You guys need to sort some stuff out big time._

_BIG TIME._

_What are you doing still reading this letter? Go find Fred's!_

_Missing you, of course,_

_George xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_P.S. I win on the kisses front._

Smiling through my tears I pinned George's letter in the middle of the wall, and with shaking hands and a nervous tummy-twisting, I picked up Fred's letter and opened it.

_Alyss,_

_I miss you._

_I miss your smile,_

_And I still shed a tear every once in a while._

_And even though it's different now_

_We're the same somehow:_

_My heart won't let you go;_

_And I need you to know, _

_I miss you._

_I wrote a poem for you, see. Please please forgive me for everything I did, and let's be friends again. I can't stand not having you close by me, to laugh with and at, and just to be there for each other like we used to be. I know I've been a total idiot, and it's totally my fault that you got caught by your mum, and I can't tell you how sorry I am for that. In fact, how sorry I am for everything. I'll come get you out of there, and then everything can go back to the way things were, right?_

_Please?_

_I can't stand fighting with you. It's not natural._

_Fred xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_P.S. George so doesn't win._

I let it drop, totally undecided as to how to react. My first reaction was annoyance on the cliché-ness of the stupid poem and the sappiness of the rest of his letter, but then I understood what an effort he'd made to swallow his pride like that and write. So, for want of a better action, I burst into silent tears. Although I couldn't sob my rough breathing and loud gasps for breath must have roused Vanessa, because my door swung open and she stood their, eyes wide, her teddy bear clutched under her arm.

"Alyss, are you okay?"

I just held my arms open and she ran into them, bouncing up onto the bed, giving me a huge hug. I managed to fight the tears and hugged her back, glad for the first time that I had come to this place, just so I could have a little sister to confide in (or not, but you get the point) and cry to.

We eventually both fell asleep on top of the covers, the little stuffed teddy between us.

~x~

Two months.

I waited two months, and nothing happened. I sat through my lessons in reluctant silence, refusing to learn, not allowed out of the house. I corresponded with everyone at school, and even wrote to Mrs Weasley to assure her that I was alright.

And then, one night, I was woken up suddenly by the feeling of another presence. My eye flew open and I made out the vague form of a man standing at the foot of my bed. His wand was outstretched. I think that he was expecting me to go for the light, but my eyes worked just as well in the darkness. I made out his blond hair and cold, hard eyes and knew him in that instant.

The moonlight fell across his face and draped itself over his body as he prowled forward.

"Don't move," he said, watching me. I was pushed up on my elbows, regarding him cautiously. My hand moved slowly and steadily towards the wand that was tucked under my pillow. He didn't seem to notice, and I guessed that his eyes hadn't adjusted fully to the darkness, so I gripped the handle of my wand tightly in one hand and waited.

He came closer, and closer. I had no idea what he wanted, but I was sure it wasn't anything good. As he finally reached me, I catapulted myself from the bed and landed in the corner by the door, my wand outheld.

"Bitch!" he exclaimed, running towards me and lifting his wand. I clamped my eyes shut, sent a flash of light (like from a camera) at him, temporarily blinding him, and then I shot out of the door like a madwoman and slammed the door behind me, his curse bouncing off it. I slipped silently into Vanessa's room and sent the sound of running footsteps off down the stairs. He smashed the door of my bedroom open and headed off after the footsteps.

I didn't waste a second. I turned, and Vanessa was sitting up in bed watching me with wide, terrified eyes.

"Did daddy come into your bedroom and take your clothes off? He does that to me sometimes. He says it's good for me. I don't like it, it hurts me."

If I had been able to speak I would have been lost for words. His own _daughter_? That was wrong on so many levels.

I hurried over to Vanessa, pulling her to her feet and shoved her towards her wardrobe.

"You want me to get dressed?"

I nodded frantically, pretending to shiver to indicate that she should dress warm. She quickly dug around and found some jeans, boots and jumpers as I crept across the hall to find some clothes of my own. I shoved my feet into some converse, struggled into some warm-looking clothes, grabbed a notebook and pencil, tore all the letters off my wall and shoved them into a rucksack, added the photos and then hurried back across to Vanessa.

I swept my hand around the room with a questioning look. She shook her head.

"All I want to take is Teddy," she said. I shoved the toy bear carefully into my bag and then took her hand and led her out of the door. I put my finger to my lips and started slinking noiselessly down the corridor, as I had done so many times at school. A floorboard creaked behind me and Vanessa's tearful eyes gazed apologetically at me.

Without a thought I swung her up onto my back to carry, piggy-back style, and resumed my careful walk. I ran down the servant's staircase and then went straight out of the back door. I put Vanessa down and tugged her towards the stables.

"Should we get Damien?" she whispered to me, and I shook my head. We reached the stables and I went for the tack while Vanessa led Lucar, her father's best and most expensive racehorse, out of his stall. Lucar shifted where he stood as I tightened the girth and put the bridle on him, and then I tossed Vanessa up and climbed up myself, tucking Lucar's blanket behind the saddle.

"Run, Lukey," Vanessa whispered, and as I kicked his sides he took off. We ran silently, two white-faced riders on a black horse, looking like phantoms from a nightmare.

We reached the wall and I slid down.

"What are you doing?" Vanessa asked as I hit the ground. I indicated that she should keep running, then changed forms as the lights in the house all suddenly flooded on.

As I had hoped, the barrier posed no threat to me in wolf-form, and Lucar appeared soon behind me, emerging into the outside world. I changed forms, vaulted up into the saddle and set the gallant horse into a gallop yet again.

Vanessa understood the need for quiet, but I guessed that she was burning to ask me questions. As we travelled further into the black night I wished I could talk, to reassure her that we would be okay, but I couldn't, so I just kept the horse running.

I guessed we had gone three miles before I pulled up under a streetlamp.

"What are you doing?" Vanessa asked as I pulled out the notebook and pen. I scribbled down the counter-spell to my silencing charm and handed her my wand, pointing at the paper.

"You think I can release you?"

I nodded, and hugged her to give her confidence. She took a deep breath and then uttered the words with the wand pointed at me.

"Thanks, Vanessa. You're amazing. Are you alright?" I wanted to know.

"Yes. Why did we run away?"

"Because I was running and I couldn't leave you in that evil place."

"But where will we go? Daddy will come after us soon, and then we won't be safe."

"Don't worry, I have a plan," I reassured her, and got my wand ready. "_Expecto Patronum!_" I said, focusing on the success of our escape, and Melman appeared, faithful as ever. I patted his nose softly.

"This is Melman, Vanessa. He's my patronus. He's going to take a message from us to my dad."

"Okay," she replied, her voice soft and nervous.

"Melman, please say to my dad: 'I've escaped and I've got Vanessa with me. I had to bring her, I'll tell you why later. Please come and rescue us, the Death Eater will be chasing us soon.' _Pempe angelos._" With the spell Melman vanished, and all temporary feelings of comfort and relief disappeared with him.

I coaxed Lucar up into a canter, and as dark buildings whipped past us Vanessa said, "Alyss, I'm scared. I don't like the night."

I smiled. "But the night will save us, Nessa. If you can't see in the dark, then neither can the people chasing us, so we can lose ourselves and never be found. Besides, the night is good. Without the night, we'd never see the stars."

She looked up, gazing up at the stars high above us.

"I like the stars," she said finally, after several minutes of silence. "So now I like the night. But the dark scares me. Bad things happen in the dark."

I guessed what she was referring to and wrapped my arms even tighter around her.

"Nessa, I promise I will never let anything hurt you in the dark anymore."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

She was silent then, but her hands clutched onto my arms and her tense body relaxed slightly. I sighed, hoping I could keep my promise.

As we clattered out of the London streets and into the surrounding countryside, a silver wolf appeared in the darkness beside us, keeping pace.

_I'm coming for you two, Alyss, don't be scared. I'm bringing some friends to help, too. Please stop at the village of Little Durham. I will find you there._

It spoke with my father's voice, and then it vanished into the darkness. I urged Lucar back into a gallop and only let him stop when we reached the outskirts of the sleeping village. Then I dismounted, leaving Vanessa up in the saddle, and led Lucar into the centre.

His hooves clattered noisily along the road until I conjured up some cloths and tied them around his hooves, muffling the sound. Then we crept like fugitives – which I supposed we were – further inwards. I kept a tight hold on Lucar's reins and stopped in the deepest patch of darkness to wait.

"When will he come?" Vanessa asked quietly, and I shrugged.

"I don't know. But he'll come, Nessa, I promise."

"Okay."

My dad wasn't the one to arrive. I watched as eight or nine people appeared on the grass in the centre of the village, and waited to see if I recognised them. Then a girl's voice called out softly, "Lupe?"

"Keira!" I exclaimed, tugging Lucar out of the darkness and then dropping his reins and rushing to hug her, squeezing her so tightly I must have been squashing her. Then another body joined our hug, followed closely by two others.

Muffled whispers of "Alyss!" were all around me, and I eventually picked out Cedric, Fred and George's voices. Tears were running down my cheeks and Keira's.

"Oh, I missed you guys so much," I said, pulling them as close as I could.

"Alyss?" the tentative voice came from over my shoulder, and I fought my way free to go and stand by Lucar. I helped Vanessa down. She pressed up close against me, and as the four adults joined us I introduced her.

"This is my half-sister, Vanessa. Vanessa, this is Fred, George, Cedric, Keira, Mr Weasley and … uh … three very nice people I don't know."

One of the three very nice people laughed. "There'll be time for introductions later. For now, let's get you somewhere safe."

"The horse too," I said firmly, grabbing Lucar's reins, keeping a firm hold on Vanessa too.

"Are you serious?" one of the other three adults said, and I nodded fiercely.

"Don't worry, I'm on it," the first nice person said, and grabbed Lucar's reins from me. Then another person took my hand and Vanessa's, and the other adults took my friends.

"Let's go. Valparaiso," one said, and then suddenly the moonlit darkness turned to absolute darkness, and then we were outside my house, the lights flooding the lawn. My dad was pacing anxiously on the veranda, and I abandoned the person who had helped me and ran straight towards him.

"Daddy," I sobbed into his chest, and he crushed me to him.

"Oh, Alyss," he said, and I could feel his tears against my skull. Eventually though I broke free and, wiping my eyes, invited everyone inside.

"Uh, what about the horse?" the first nice person asked, and my dad groaned.

"Alyss, you stole a _horse_?"

Several people laughed. I just shrugged bashfully.

"It was the fastest get-away possibility. It was that or run."

He sighed. "Well, honey, you take it round the back and put it in the paddock, and then come find the rest of us inside."

I grinned and nodded, then led Lucar off. I caught sight of Keira ushering Vanessa inside, keeping her close, and smiled thankfully at her. She waved, and then I was round the side of the house. I opened the gate and led Lucar in, then untacked him and put his blanket on him. I paused for a moment to stroke his face.

"Thanks, Lukey. You saved us."

He snorted into my face and then wandered off to do whatever a horse does in its free time. I walked back up to the house, dumping the saddle, bridle and blanket on the veranda, and then went in through the back door. I headed through to the sitting room, to find only grown-ups present.

"We'll still be here tomorrow, Alyss," the first nice person said, who in the light turned out to be a young woman with a heart-shaped face, brown hair with orange streaks and a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So you go up and get some sleep. All your friends are upstairs already."

I nodded dutifully and hurried up the stairs. I went into my room to find it surprisingly large, with my single bed expanded into a huge bed that was like triple-king-size. All my friends plus Vanessa were piled up on it, and I was shocked to see that Cedric and Fred were actually talking to each other.

Then I took a flying leap into their midst and we all hugged for what felt like hours. Then I sat back on my heels, and Vanessa crawled forwards to sit pressed up against me, watching everyone cautiously.

"Dude, what happened to you to make you want to escape suddenly?" George wanted to know. "We got woken up in the middle of the night by Dad's patronus to tell us that you'd escaped, and so we grabbed Keira and Cedric and high-tailed it to Hogsmeade, where Tonks, Kingsley and Dad found us, told us off for breaking the rules and then apparated us to you. Tonks was the woman who took your horse. So, why'd you pick now?"

I sighed. "Hey, Vanessa, do you want a bath? You must be feeling pretty gross."

She nodded silently, and with an _in-a-minute _look at George I led her into the bathroom and set the hot tap running. I poured in bubble baths and salts and waited for it to fill, and then smiled at her.

"Vanessa, I'm sorry I took you away from your home. I'm sorry I made you scared. I can take you back if you want to go."

She surprised me by shaking her head vehemently. "No, I don't want to go back. I like it here a lot more. Everyone is warm and kind and the two red-headed boys are really funny. And the house itself is friendly. At home everything felt cold and very polite. Here it's just _happy_. I want to stay here forever."

I hugged her and then left her to have a bath. "Take as long as you want, I have some catching up to do with my friends. Here, you can use some of my pyjamas."

I left her an old nightdress of mine and shut the door behind me, then bounced onto the bed.

"You wanna know why and how I escaped first, I guess?" I asked, and when they nodded ferociously I snuggled down in between George and Cedric.

"Well, it turns out that my handsome and charming – not – stepfather is in fact a Death Eater. And a paedophile."

"What?!"

"Are you serious?!"

There were general outcries of disgust and dismay from the people around me.

"So he tried to … to you …?"

"Sort of. He came into my room in the middle of the night in the dark with his wand ready – don't laugh at the innuendo, George – and warned me not to move. Then he started coming closer and closer so I jumped out of bed, used that flash spell Flitwick taught us in Second Year and ran into Vanessa's room, and tricked him into thinking I'd run off down the stairs. And then Vanessa woke up and told me .. told me that he … he makes her …"

I couldn't finish. The thought of someone doing _that _to my innocent little sister was impossible to bear. Cedric drew me in tight to a hug.

"We won't let him hurt either of you any more, Lupe," he promised, and I was surprised to see everyone, including Fred, nodding in ferocious agreement. I had always thought that it would take a miracle to pull everyone into a team. I never considered a disaster would have the same effect.

I felt tears rising up again. "Thanks you guys," I said, my voice a whisper. They all pressed into a group hug. I heard a door open and shut and raised my head to see Vanessa standing with wet hair and twisting her hands nervously in her nightdress.

"Hey, Nessa, come get in with us," I said, and she clambered up onto the bed. I snuggled her down under the covers in between me and George, and she gazed around at everyone shyly.

"I was just telling everyone how we escaped, Nessa. Do you want to tell them how we stole Lucar?"

Her shyness dissipated somewhat as she regaled them with the tale of stealing 'daddy's prize racehorse' and I smiled as her eyes began to droop towards the end of the story.

"And then you guys appeared out of nowhere and brought us here," she finished, and I tucked the covers in around her.

"You go to sleep now, Angel, you're safe home now."

She nodded and closed her eyes, nestling against me for comfort and reassurance.

"I'm knackered too," Keira said, and everyone agreed with her and settled down for sleep. I smiled as Cedric wrapped an arm around me from behind and all my friends relaxed into sleep. I felt so secure with them all around me, and so grateful to be back where I belonged. I fell asleep very quickly, the danger and terror of the night almost unreal now in my circle of warmth, light and safety.


	20. Escapee

**Well howdy, y'all!**

**Hope you enjoy the latest instalment.**

**And I'm dedicating this chapter to SaffyGirl because she's such an awesome reviewer :)**

"**This is the way that we love,  
Like it's forever." – Mika, Happy Ending  
**

~x~

I woke very suddenly at dawn. My body clock had adjusted to the crazy times my mother and her psycho husband made me get up at, so at about six o' clock I was well and truly awake, despite my lack of sleep. I sighed and wriggled out of the sleeping pile of people, then headed to the bathroom for a shower.

When I felt that I might possibly be clean I stood for a few moments under the hot water and let the flush of freedom run through me. It felt great. I savoured it for a few minutes longer and then shut the water off, getting out and drying off, then going back into my room and digging out a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt and cardigan. I shook my hair out and headed downstairs.

Mr Weasley was still there, asleep in an armchair, as well as that nice woman who'd taken Lucar for us, asleep on the sofa. I guessed my dad was upstairs in bed still.

I went into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl of cereal, then went out to sit on the swing seat on the veranda at the back, looking down over the bay. The sun was just rising over the water, blazoning it with colour, and I let the gentle breeze play around my face as I ate. I jumped when the door opened behind me.

"Alyss?" Fred's tentative voice came from over my shoulder. I glanced round.

"Hello," I said, my voice neutral. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"No," he replied, coming to sit next to me. I budged up grudgingly. "We need to talk."

I resumed my staring out over the sea. "So talk."

"But I … okay. Here's the thing. We haven't properly talked since last year, and I'm not even sure why we haven't made up yet. You're mad at me, understandably, and I'm pretty mad at you, so I think you need to tell me why you're mad first."

I just sat there and gaped at him. "_You're_ mad at _me_? I haven't done anything!"

He scoffed. "Uh, sure. You didn't just randomly stop talking to me and start properly fighting me and then run off and scare the living shit out of everyone by disappearing totally. Yeah, you're completely innocent in this."

"Well you're hardly a beacon of goodliness, Fred!"

"Please, for the love of God, explain to me exactly _what _I've done wrong so that I can rectify it! I hate fighting with you, Alyss, it's not natural."

"You wanna know what you've done wrong? It might take a while."

"Hit me."

"Oh, don't tempt me. Well, here's the thing. So first of all you started getting all stupid over Cedric, who is _just _my _friend_, for God's sake, and then you have the bare-faced cheek to start going out with Angelina and expect me to be okay with that, when you point blank refuse to be okay with my _friendship _with Cedric! Jeesh, it's like you have no brains at all. And then I run away to your house looking for comfort, and you drag me up a tree, tell me it's over between you and Angelina, kiss me, tell me that actually didn't break up with that cow, and then to cap it all you _didn't even fall out of the tree and die like I told you to!_"

I finished the last part of my rant in a rush of breath and then sat back to wait for his reaction. To my surprise, he suddenly chuckled softly.

"What?" I demanded angrily as he started laughing harder.

"Alyss, you can't honestly hold the fact that I didn't fall out of the tree and die against me because if I had this whole conversation would be moot."

"What does moot mean?"

"Pointless."

"Oh."

Then I started laughing too.

How absurd.

"So, you wanna go swimming in the bay?" I asked when Fred finally let me out of the bearhug he had me in.

"You're on. I'll race you to the beach."

"Bring it on, Carrot-Top."

"It's on, Short-Stuff."

"I am not short!"

"No, but you're losing!"

We reached the sand in a tumble of limbs and laughs, and I pulled off my jumper and t-shirt and jeans while Fred yanked off his trousers and t-shirt, then we both shot down to the ocean in our underwear, crashing into the water in an explosion of salty spray.

Friends again, just like it should be.

The others had to return to school the next day, but I stayed at home to prepare for Beauxbatons. Vanessa helped me pack, but I could sense something was bothering her, so while I made dinner I asked her what the matter was.

"I'm worried. What's going to happen to me? I have nowhere to go."

I smiled at her. "Don't worry. Mother has a sister that she never speaks to, but that we're still in contact with because she's really nice. You'll stay with her during term-time and go to the local muggle school, and then come back here for the holidays. How does that sound?"

"That sounds good."

"Yeah? Well, if you don't like it there you just write and tell me and we'll figure something else out, 'kay?"

"Okay."

~x~

Beauxbatons was rubbish. The food, compared to Hogwarts, was way over-the-top and too rich for me, and all the kids were really stuck up. Marie was so nice to me, but I think all the other girls thought that I was very uncouth. I found myself pretty much friendless, because I wasn't willing to allow Marie to lose all her friends when I would be gone at the end of the year anyway.

The lessons were easy to understand, but there was a huge tonne of homework which left me with very little time to correspond with all my friends and Vanessa. The only good thing about Beauxbatons was the tradition they had of having a ball every two months on a Saturday night.

During the week leading up to the ball I wrote to Mrs Weasley desperately asking her to find me a ball gown, and true to form she sent one winging my way almost immediately. It was a very beautiful silver, long and floating in the skirt and a bodice with crystal studs and it used to belong to Aunt Lily. How Mrs Weasley got it I shall never know and never ask. I got asked to the ball by about five boys and accepted a very good-looking Parisian by name of – I think it was Theo. Although I might be wrong.

The ball itself was a dizzying whirlwind of candles, dancing (badly on my part) and champagne. It was understandable, therefore, that the next day I had a thumping hangover and very little recollection of the night before, although I gathered from my fragmented memories and what Marie told me that Theo had tried to get me to have sex with him and I had refused him very publicly, which would explain his black eye and why he refused to talk to me from then onwards.

I scraped through the exams with passes, and by the time the summer finally arrived I couldn't wait to get home and see all my friends who had somehow survived the horrible year, and then find Harry and kill him for going after that Basilisk.

I knew it was a Basilisk all along, really.

No, seriously.

Anyway, because Beauxbatons' term finished earlier than Hogwarts I was allowed to go and meet all my friends as they came off the train.

After glomping them all, extracting promises that they would all come and stay with me over the holidays, giving them all the little gifts I had saved up for them (which included a Beauxbatons toilet seat for George) and having to be forcibly restrained from tackling Harry and demanding why he had done something so stupid as venturing into the Chamber of Secrets, I was dragged off home by my father to see Vanessa.

And my summer went swimmingly until I picked up the Daily Prophet on one sunny morning and recognised the man on the front page.

I read the article, and then screamed in delight. My dad and Vanessa came rushing in from separate directions.

"What, Alyss?"

"Daddy, it's Uncle Sirius! He got out! He's free!"

My dad sank into a chair and put his head in his hands. I ignored him and picked Vanessa up, whirling her in a dizzying happy-dance around kitchen.

"He's free! He's free!"

And it took me a week to come down from the high that news gave me. I don't think I had ever been so happy in all my life. One morning, when my high was finally starting to fade, I was up at about five in the morning (nightmare) and petting Lucar in his field.

"You're a good boy, Lukey, yes you are. Yes you are!" I rubbed his nose and then laughed as he blew into my hair. The most funny thing about this horse was that we had made no effort to disguise him whatsoever, but despite his theft being across many of the muggle newspapers, no-one had recognised him yet, even when I took him into the village with Vanessa to go shopping.

But on that morning, just as I was standing there talking to the purloined racehorse, I got the fright of my life as Lucar reared up and screamed a challenge at something behind me.

I turned slowly, fearfully, and looked straight into the eyes of the big, mangy black dog that was standing tensely about five metres away from me. It took me roughly ten seconds to recognise him.

And then I flew at the dog and bowled him over and over, hugging him so tightly I must have been crushing him. Somewhere in the midst of my attack, he changed his form and I was hugging my Uncle Sirius again.

Eventually I let him go, and he moved to sit opposite me on the grass.

"Alyss, is that really you?"

I nodded silently, reaching out a hand to take his own dirty one.

"Uncle Sirius, I missed you so much. And I know you're innocent."

He smiled at me, his teeth yellow against his pale skin.

"I knew you would. And you've grown so much, kid. You're so beautiful now. Just like your mother."

I scowled. "Don't you dare ever mention my mother to me. She locked me up in her stupid mansion for two months with her Death Eater paedophile husband and I only got out by running away around about Easter."

"Honey, it sounds like you've been through a lot worse than I have."

I shook my head vehemently. "No, you've been in Azkaban! I wanted to come and rescue you, but Dad wouldn't let me. I'm sorry. He thinks you're guilty."

"So does everyone."

"Except you and me."

"And Peter Pettigrew and Lord Voldemort."

"Oh yeah, them."

It was so easy to be flip when I was sitting on fragrant grass under summer sunshine with possibly my favourite person in the whole wide world so close to me, but I knew Voldemort's reign of terror could only get worse from now on.

"So what's your plan of action?" I asked with a grin, lying back onto the grass. He lay down next to me, and I cut him off before he could answer.

"Step one is a shower, I'm afraid. C'mon, you can use mine, and I'll pinch some clothes off my Dad, 'kay?"

He protested as I pulled him to his feet, and then very pointedly held my nose as I led him back into the house.

"Whoa … nice place Remus got for you both," Sirius commented with a whisper as I led him through the kitchen. I grinned.

"Well, yesterday I had an accident with the blender and a bowlful of fruit, so I had to scrub this place 'til it gleamed. Usually it's not this clean."

He laughed softly as I led him upstairs and into the bathroom.

"Okay, take as long as you want, and for the love of God get yourself _clean _before you come out. I'll leave some clothes outside the door."

He caught my arm as I turned to leave. "Hey, Alyss … thanks."

I smiled. "For what?"

"For everything. For believing in me. For not running and screaming. For the clothes, the shower … you know."

My smile widened. "I know. Now get clean, please!"

He grinned and retreated into the bathroom. I went downstairs into the kitchen as the water started running and grabbed a banana to eat, chewing thoughtfully. When Uncle Sirius finally reappeared, about forty minutes later, I was reading a book.

"What are you reading?" he asked, pulling it away from me. I batted at his hand.

"Hey! You better not lose my page," I warned him, and he grinned and handed it back.

"Marked. Looks good."

"It is. However, you don't," I told him, eyeing his hair. He made a face, and I grinned wider to see how much of a teenager he seemed.

"But I'm clean!"

"Your hair is a disaster area. Here, lemme cut it."

"No. No way."

"C'mon, Uncle Sirius, it looks like Hell."

"Uh, fine. But you'd better know what you're doing."

"Of course," I said, pulling out the scissors from the drawer behind me. I cut quickly, trying not to make too much of a mess, and was quite surprised when it turned out all right. I had cut it about jaw-length, or a little longer. He looked in the microwave door and smiled.

"Hey, not bad."

"Thanks. So, what's the plan?"

"I have to get to Hogwarts. I have to get to Pettigrew. I know your Dad won't help me, so I guess I'll have to run."

"Oh, screw that," I said with a grin. "I'll sneak you on the train. You can be the new dog I got for my birthday. I'll get Keira or someone to pretend to my Dad that you're her new dog, and then as soon as we're at school and safe you can wander off and hide in one of the many, many places around school. Which reminds me, could you possibly make me a copy of the Marauder's Map? Fred and George have got the original but I don't trust them, and Dad won't help me."

"Sure. Get me a piece of parchment, a wand, and then stand back."

I dug around in the drawer and then handed him my wand, and then stood back.

He muttered some words, holding the wand over the parchment and repeating the spell quietly. It took a long time, but eventually ink started blossoming across the parchment and it folded into itself until I recognised an exact copy of the original map.

"Uncle Sirius you're the best!" I exclaimed, and ran to give him a huge hug. He hugged me back tightly, and when I let go he smiled down at me with what looked suspiciously like tears in his eyes.

"I can't believe you now. You're so strong and beautiful and … so much like both of your parents. I know you don't want to hear it but you look so much like your mother. You've got her determination and backbone of steel, but you've got your father's integrity and cunningness and your very own sense of mischief, that if I wasn't sure we weren't related I'd say you've inherited from James and I."

I grinned and hugged him again. "It's good to see you, Uncle Sirius."

"Same to you. Right, I'd better get going if I'm going to see Harry before I meet you at King's Cross."

He handed me back my wand, then with a last hair-ruffle he disappeared out of the door and changed into his animagus form, loping off across the headland. I raised a hand in farewell, then went back out to groom Lukey.

~x~

Sure enough, on September 1st a big black dog was waiting patiently on platform 9 for me. He followed me and my dad through the barrier, and I hauled Keira out of the crowd.

"Hey, can you pretend this is your dog until we get on the train? My Dad will flip if he knows I've brought him."

She smiled. "Sure. But I want a proper hello later!"

I waved as I headed back over to my Dad and hugged him. "See you later, Dad!" I called.

However, as I climbed up I realised that he had gotten on the train behind me. I turned to him in surprise.

"Dad, don't worry, I'm fifteen now, I think I can get my own luggage on the train."

"No, honey … uh, you remember how I mentioned that Dumbledore was looking for a new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher? Right before you tried cliff-diving and almost killed yourself?"

I considered for a moment, and then had it. "Oh yeah, I remember. So, what does this have to do with you being overprotective?"

"Well, the position was vacant and I …"

My expression turned to despair. "Oh, Dad, you didn't?!"

He nodded sheepishly and I resisted the urge to bang my head against a wall. Instead I gave him a cold glare and hurried off to find my friends, lugging my heavy trunk along behind me, Bucket protesting fiercely at the inconsiderate bumps I was giving him in his cage.

I found them in a very crowded compartment, and ducked past Lee and Ben to find Keira sitting regarding Sirius with considerable interest. I sat down next to her and gave her a hug.

"Your dog is weird," she informed me once I was done with all the hellos.

"In what way?" I asked, patting Sirius on the head.

"Well, he just seems very … intelligent. Like he didn't seem fazed at all when you left him with me, just waited patiently while I said goodbye to my folks, and then followed me straight on the train. Didn't whine or try to run after you or anything."

I grinned. "Well, he's a very special dog."

"What's his name?"

"Uh … Alcatraz."

"Alcatraz. That's cute."

Sirius awarded me a long glare as Keira, closely followed by Isobel and Zoe, started fawning over him and calling him 'pretty puppy.' I had to concentrate very hard to stop myself bursting into outright laughter.

And then Fred and George burst into the compartment like a couple of overexcited otters and all notion of calm was instantly forgotten. I squealed and ran at them, bowling them right over into the corridor. Everyone piled on and soon we had completely blocked the corridor. Several people came to an annoyed halt and we all managed to shuffle and/or crawl back into our compartment.

"So, what about Sirius Black then, eh?" Isobel said, taking a seat and handing round a bag of sweets. I glanced quickly at Sirius – uh, I mean Alcatraz – and suppressed a grin.

"I know Lupe is always harping on about how innocent he is, but I can't believe he's out! The Ministry must be doing their nut," Lee commented.

"D'you think he's really heading for Hogwarts?" George asked, glancing at me where I sat on the ground with my arm around the dog, trying to not laugh. I looked up at him.

"Probably," I said non-committally, and everyone gasped. I seemed to be the information point for Uncle Sirius' whereabouts, and the attention soon turned to me.

"So, do you know where he is now?" Zoe asked worriedly, gazing at me. I stopped myself from looking sideways at Sirius.

"Maybe," I replied blandly, trying to stop the grin getting any wider.

"You do, don't you?!" Keira exclaimed. "Lupe, honey, you've got to tell someone! He's so dangerous. Think how many people he killed!"

I scowled at her, my good mood waning. "Ki, how many times do I have to tell you that he's innocent? He _didn't _kill all those people. He wouldn't. Uncle Sirius is _good _right through, like any one of us."

"But he's not!" Ben burst out. "He's a horrific mass-murderer! And he was You-Know-Who's biggest supporter. That's why he broke out of Azkaban."

I was on my feet in an instant, my wand out and pointing straight at Ben.

"You take that back."

"Why?"

"You take that back right now or I'll hex you so bad you won't be able to walk!"

"No, I won't. Everyone knows it."

My anger boiled over. "_NO_! Uncle Sirius would never have _anything _to do with Voldemort! He fought against him the whole time he was in power, he was Uncle James' best friend! He didn't betray the Potters, I know he didn't!"

Ben also got to his feet. "You're just defending him because he's your uncle. Everyone here agrees with me. Sirius Black is a filthy, murdering, traitorous Death Eater!"

Beside me, Sirius got to his feet and started tugging on my cardigan with his teeth, trying to calm me down before something went horribly wrong. I ignored him and stepped closer to Ben, my wand pointing right between his eyes.

"You take that back right now," I whispered, my furious glare fixed on his.

"No."

"_Furniculo_! _Altugro_! _Remon-_"

I didn't have time to finish my last curse because Fred grabbed my arm and pulled me backwards. Sirius followed, growling softly at Ben where he lay on the ground, everyone gathered around him, victim of my hexes.

"What are you playing at?!" Fred asked me in astonishment as soon as we had gotten out of the compartment.

"They can't be rude about him! Sirius is so good and he's so obviously innocent and they just can't – "

Sirius laid his head against my side and I glanced up at Fred. I saw in his eyes the warring inside him as he tried to decide whether to believe me or not.

"It's okay, you don't have to pretend to believe me," I told him quietly, and without another word spun and stalked off down the corridor, Sirius following close beside me. Fred made no move to follow me, and I kept moving, fighting down tears. We reached the end of the train and then I sunk to the ground and put my head in my hands. Sirius licked my face and I jumped.

"Oh, ew! Gross. Thanks a lot," I told him with a half smile, and his face cracked into a big doggy grin, tongue lolling out. I smiled fully and hugged him around the neck.

"You know," I said conversationally as I absently stroked his head, "I think I prefer as a dog."

He woofed softly and I grinned. I hugged him again, and then got a shock as I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

"Wha- oh, Cedric. Jeesh, don't creep up on me like that!"

He grinned brilliantly, his grey eyes sparkling. "I had a bet with myself I could creep up on you. I never usually can but you were so absorbed in your dog I thought I had a chance."

I laughed and hugged him, trying not to notice how much better-looking (if possible) he had gotten over the holidays. I stood back for a minute, having to look up quite a long way at him.

"You grew again," I accused, and he smiled.

"Yeah, I know. Dad was furious, he had to buy yet _another _set of robes. So, what did you get up to over the summer?" he asked, sitting down where I had been sitting a minute ago.

"Nothing much," I replied, sliding down the wall next to him. I was rather surprised when Sirius forced himself between us. He gazed at me with narrowed eyes for a moment, and I glared back and tried to shove him out of the way. Cedric laughed.

"New dog?"

"Yeah, he's called Alcatraz. And I think he's being far too overprotective right now," I said, glaring at Sirius, who just blinked innocently. "Cedric is just my friend," I told him, but he just rolled his eyes and didn't budge.

"Wow. It's like he actually understands what you're saying," Cedric commented in amazement.

"You'd be surprised," I said with a grin, and then snapped my fingers in front of Sirius' face.

"Down, boy!" I said. He gave me a pained look, and then lay down. "Right, now we can talk without being interrupted."

Cedric laughed again.

"Was he a birthday present?"

"No, he just kinda turned up on our doorstep one day. I'm still not entirely sure my dad's aware I've brought him to Hogwarts."

"Well, that'll be okay, I'm sure he won't find out."

"No, he probably will. He's teaching here this year."

"No shit!" Cedric exclaimed.

"Yeah. He only told me as I was getting on the train. He's in a compartment somewhere. How lame is that?"

"That sucks. So he's teaching Defence? Is he any good?"

"Dunno. I never asked him. He taught me how to do a Patronus though, so I guess he's alright."

"Well, he's got to get us through our O.W.L., so hopefully he's good. I'm sure he will be, though. Hey, you should come stay with me next summer, seeing as how I live just across from the Weasleys."

I grinned broadly. "That'd be great. We could go to that muggle fair that comes to the area."

"Yeah. That would be awesome."

"Hey, what's that ring on your hand?" I was interested, I hadn't noticed it before. Cedric smiled.

"Haven't you noticed it before? I've had it since third year."

"No. What is it?"

"It's a Promise Ring. You know, saving myself for marriage and all that."

I stared at him.

"What?" He asked with a laugh.

"I didn't know you were Christian."

"I'm not, I haven't promised to God, I've promised to myself. I don't want the whole pressure thing that happens at school."

I laughed.

"What?" He asked again.

"I bet you ten galleons you've lost it before the end of this year."

"Deal."

We shook on it. I was certain I would win – girls followed Cedric like bees followed honey, and I was sure that sooner or later one of them would win him.

"What about you?" He asked me suddenly. I turned to him.

"What about me?"

"No Promise Ring for you?"

I grinned. "No, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go around sleeping with every guy I see. I want to find the absolutely right person, someone who I love and loves me, before I go into any of the sex stuff."

"You're a wise kid."

"You're the same age as me! You can't call me kid."

"That doesn't mean I won't. So, to change the subject, what do you think the hardest exam's gonna be this year?"

We sat and chatted for hours. I hadn't talked like that to Cedric ever, and I was so engrossed in our argument about whether it was possible that McGonagall was secretly married that I didn't notice the train had drawn to a shuddering halt. I was brought to awareness by Sirius, who I had thought was asleep, suddenly tumbling to his feet and starting to growl.

"Why have we stopped?" I asked as I got to my feet. Next to me Cedric also scrambled upright.

"I don't know – we can't be there yet. Maybe the train broke down?"

A head poked out of a nearby compartment, along with many others up and down the train.

"What's going on?" the person asked. I shrugged. Then the lights went out. I blinked as my eyes adjusted, and then peered out into the darkness. Everyone had gone back inside their compartments, and I felt oddly exposed outside. As the temperature within the train dropped, I pressed myself unconsciously against Cedric. He put an arm around me, and drew his wand with his other. I mimicked him, and Sirius between us was tense, ready to attack, his hackles bared.

And then the doors ahead of us in the side of the train slid open, and a hooded, cloaked, terrifying figure boarded, closely followed by others.

"Dementors," Cedric whispered into my ear, and I nodded, remembering the lesson on them. The group of them split, heading up and down the train. One came for us. Sirius pressed himself closer up against me, and I dropped a hand down to touch his head briefly.

The thing stopped, however, at a compartment two doors down, and I waited. It withdrew after a short period, and came for us where we stood, trapped, against the back wall.

As waves of darkness and despair drifted over us, and a rotting, scabby hand extended from under the cloak towards us, I felt Cedric trembling next to me, and focused hard.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" I yelled, my wand outheld, my mind fixed firmly on my happy memory. Melman erupted from the end and charged the dementor, bashing it out of the way with one contemptuous blow of his head. I kept my wand out.

"C'mon," I said to Cedric and Sirius, and then together we sprinted back up the train, Melman galloping in front of us, knocking dementors out of the way. We reached the compartment all my friends were in. They were all a pale, pale white, and a dementor stood in the doorway, looming over them.

"GET IT!" I screamed at Melman, and he charged yet again, smacking the dementor off the train. Cedric, Sirius and I tumbled into the compartment and slammed the door shut.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked as I knelt down by Keira, who had been closest to the door. She was shaking horribly, and I lifted her up and hugged her, still keeping half my mind on Melman, waiting outside the door.

"Yeah, we're fine," George's voice came from beside me, sounding weak. "Are you guys?"

"Yeah, Alyss's patronus kept them all away. I don't know what would have happened if – "

"Don't think about it," I warned. "Does anyone have any chocolate on them? Jeesh, someone give some light already."

Several wands lit up and I could see seven scared looking faces watching me. I passed a hand over my face – I didn't want to be the leader in this situation, but it looked like I was the only one who hadn't totally lost my mind in the terror.

"So, chocolate?"

"Yeah, I've got some."

"And me."

As it was shared out, the lights flickered back on and the train started moving again. I let Melman disappear as everyone resumed their seats, looking awful.

"Aw, c'mon guys, they're gone now," I said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. I blinked as my dad hurried past the compartment door. Keira caught sight of him.

"Hey, Lupe, isn't that your dad? What's he doing on the train?"

I sighed. "He's teaching Defence this year."

"No way!"

"Oh, poor you."

"Is he any good?"

I parried all the questions, somewhat relieved that we'd all been distracted from the dementors. As the conversation restarted, I felt a gentle touch on my arm. I looked up at Cedric.

"I better go and see my friends. I'll see you later?"

I grinned at him. "Count on it."

He smiled and disappeared out of the compartment. I was sat on the floor next to Sirius, who looked kinda shaky – if that was possible for a dog. I put an arm around him.

"Don't worry, I won't let them get you," I promised him quietly. He glanced up at me and I smiled as confidently as I could down at him. Then he gave what I construed to be a shrug and lay down and went to sleep.

~x~


	21. Mistakes

**Big, very important happenings in this chapter. I was going to save the huge firework for Sixth Year, but after much deliberation I decided that I really couldn't wait, and that this way probably worked the best.**

**"Someday we'll know if love can move a mountain. Someday we'll know why the sky is blue. Someday we'll know why I wasn't meant for you." – (Uh, I can't remember where I found this … if anyone knows, don't hesitate to tell me!)**

~x~

At the Welcome Feast I made a point of not making eye-contact with my dad where he sat at the High Table. God, it was so embarrassing to have him teaching. And the robes he was wearing might have been his most formal, but they were also old, dusty, shabby and patchy, making him look totally poor.

I had let Sirius wander off into the grounds as soon as we reached school, and I hoped he was okay. I determinedly ignored Dumbledore's introduction of my father, applauded Hagrid, then switched off and wondered when the heck the food was going to arrive.

As soon as it did I dived in and heaped my plate nice and high.

"Hungry?" Fred asked amusedly from next to me. I just nodded, my mouth too full to answer.

"Some things never change," Fred said with a laugh, and then dug in himself.

I managed to stuff myself so full I could barely stand, and somehow made it up to the dormitory, changed, and fell into bed before I went to sleep.

~x~

My first lesson with my father was three days later. I shuffled into the classroom with Fred and George and we took seats right at the back. My dad welcomed the class, then waved his wand so the desks and chairs all flew to the side of the room.

"Wands out, please. Today will be a practical lesson. We will be learning about Shield Charms."

I stayed well at the back to practice with Fred while George partnered Keira, and I was laughing myself silly at Fred, who had failed to repel my tarantella hex and was doing a mad tap dance while shouting at me to release him, when my dad walked over. He released Fred from the hex and Fred fell over.

"You need to focus quite hard at first, Fred. Like this," he said, raising his wand and pointing it at me. "Send a hex at me, Alyss, please."

I grinned evilly. "_Rillerio_!" I said, sending the spell at him.

"_Protego_!" he said quickly, and my spell bounced off his shield and hit me. Unfortunately I had sent a hex that reduced the victim to hysterical laughter, and Fred had to drag me out and take me somewhere quiet to calm down.

So it was pretty much a complete fiasco, all told, especially as Fred and I missed half of potions and were given detention by Snape, who looked sourer than ever.

~x~

I was feeling particularly annoyed at Oliver Wood one night in late October, because I felt like I got to spend hardly any time with Fred and George due to the insane amounts of time that he was making them practise.

I managed to collar them the night before Hallowe'en.

"Where the heck have you guys _been_?" they were both totally covered in mud but looking particularly exuberant.

"On the Quidditch Pitch," George replied happily. "Fred accidentally hit Madam Hooch with a bludger so we got let out early while Madam Pomfrey fixes her."

I turned my gaze on Fred, and he just shrugged, looking quite pleased with himself.

"So, Hogsmeade tomorrow? Are you guys going?"

"Sure we are, we have to visit the joke shop. Are you?"

I shook my head. I had to use tomorrow – when most people would be out of school – to smuggle Sirius in so he could get to Pettigrew. I had offered to pinch Pettigrew from the boys' dormitory myself, but Sirius was refusing to let me get involved with anything more than getting him inside in case anything bad happened.

"Aw, please come!" George begged, making his puppy-dog eyes at me. I just shook my head.

"No, I'm going for a nice long walk in the grounds with my dog. I need the peace and quiet. But if I give you guys the money will you go into Honeyduke's and buy me as much as you can carry?"

They both nodded at the same time, and I grinned.

"Excellent. Now go shower and change, you're making the carpet all dirty and I need to finish this essay for McGonagall or she'll eat me."

"We're going, keep your hair on."

They patted me on the head as they went past, blocked the hexes I sent after them and headed up the boys' staircase.

So the next day, a nice sunny morning, I headed outside by means of a window to avoid Filch, and wandered apparently aimlessly towards the Forbidden Forest. I was singing happily (and badly) to myself when someone grabbed me around the waist and whirled me round, then dumped me on the floor. I turned round quickly.

"Fred!" I exclaimed happily. "Aren't you supposed to be in Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah, but I let George go with Keira. I could tell he wanted to. And besides, I thought you and I might spend some quality time together."

I grinned broadly as he looped an arm around my waist, and we walked together towards the lake chatting cheerfully. Fred was telling me a particularly amusing joke when we reached the lake itself. Once I had caught my breath after laughing, I stared out at the water.

"I wonder how cold it is in there," I said absently. Fred gave me a warning look.

"I hope you're not thinking about going for a swim?" he said both questioningly and warningly, and I swung to face him with a grin.

"Well, I am now!"

"Aw, c'mon, don't."

"No, I'm going."

He sighed massively. I pulled off my cloak and jumper and quickly stripped down to my underwear, then took a running leap and dived off the bank. The water hit me like ice, the cold knocking all the breath out of me. I rose to the surface and starting hurriedly breast-stroking until I was more used to it.

I grinned up at Fred where he was crouched on the bank, looking torn between jumping in next to me and trying to listen to his brain for a change.

"Come on, it's really nice in here," I said, trying to persuade him. He shook his head, and I hurriedly formed a plan. I swam further out, made to turn and then suddenly sank under the water. I surfaced, my arms windmilling.

"Fred! Help! Something's got my leg, I can't – "

Then I sank under again. I heard a massive splash and opened my eyes under the water to see Fred swimming hurriedly towards me in his boxers. I surfaced with a wicked grin.

"You are so dead!" he said when he reached me. I laughed as he tried to duck me, evading him by twisting and writhing and then ducked under, swam around him, came up behind him and dunked him thoroughly.

"Ha," I said vindictively when he surfaced, spluttering. I wasn't prepared for him to revenge himself so quickly – he almost immediately grabbed me around the waist and threw me into the air. I landed with a splash, and then got the shock of my life and something thin and rubbery brushed against my leg. Then something other than Fred tossed me up into the air gently.

I landed next to Fred and clutched onto him.

"Uh oh, I think the Giant Squid wants to join in," Fred murmured next to me, putting an arm around me and swimming for the shore. Sure enough, the Squid surfaced between us and land, its huge eye blinking with what looked like humour. It rumbled deeply at us and pulled some of its tentacles around us both, then threw us into the air.

I found myself laughing wildly at the thrill as we were tossed back and forth, and started grabbing onto the Squid's tentacles as it waved them around, tickling it. Fred soon joined in, and our game lasted for what felt like hours.

When the Squid eventually deposited us gently on the shore, the games over for the day, I had to hold on to Fred so I didn't fall over, I was so breathless from laughing and playing.

"I _love _that Squid," Fred said with fervour.

"Oh, me too!" I agreed, starting to shiver with the cold. Although it had been fun to go swimming, and I had been totally distracted from the chill while in the water, I was now freezing.

"C'mon," Fred said, also shivering, and wrapped me up in my cloak carefully, then pulled his round himself and we grabbed up our clothes – not wanting to get them wet by putting them on – and hurried up to the castle.

Sirius joined us as we ran up to the window I had come out of. I grinned at him.

"Hi, puppy. Fred, will you help me get him through the window?"

Between us we managed to get Sirius up through the window, and then we climbed through.

"You go on up to Gryffindor Tower, Alcatraz," I told Sirius, and after he padded off I turned to Fred. "C'mon, let's go warm up. Ki gave me the password to the Prefect's Bathroom, and the bath in there is to die for. I don't feel like going to the feast tonight. We can go pinch food from the kitchen later."

I snatched his hand up and headed up the stairs. We made inane conversation the whole way to the bathroom, and then I gave the password and we entered.

"Wow," said Fred in amazement. I nodded in agreement and went to turn the taps on, dumping my clothes and stretching my cloak out to dry by the heater as the bath/pool filled up with warm, scented water and bubbles. I sat on the side to wait for it to fill, tapping my foot against the side of the pool/bath impatiently.

"Can't you just learn to wait?" Fred asked with a chuckle, coming to sit next to me, our legs dangling in the rising water. I leant my head against his shoulder and sighed.

"No, it's not in my nature."

"Well, you could still try."

"I don't like waiting. It's boring."

"Well then, why don't you think of something to amuse yourself with?"

"Um … okay. I'm thinking of a number between one and ten."

"That's not amusing yourself, that's just annoying me."

"Well? What's my number?"

"Nine."

"Damn! How did you guess?"

He gave me a pitying look. "Honey, you _always _pick nine."

I pouted and sulked for a little while, then nudged him.

"Your turn."

"Okay, I'm thinking of a number between fifteen and twenty-five."

"Um … nineteen?"

"No, twenty-four."

"Oh. I suck at this game."

"Yeah, you do."

There was a comfortable silence for a while, and then the bath was full and I jumped right in with a splash, Fred next to me.

"Ahh," I said blissfully as the heat seeped through to my core. I floated on the surface for a while, and then Fred pushed on my stomach and I went under.

"You …" I exclaimed, making a grab for him. He dodged my outstretched hands with a chuckle, eyes dancing with laughter. I chased him for a little while and then he vanished under all the bubbles.

"Huh? Where'd you – "

Then he grabbed my legs and tipped me up. When I surfaced I scowled at him, and he just beamed back at me. I sighed.

"I'm kinda tired now," I said with a yawn, and Fred smiled.

"Well, I guess you had a lot of exercise today."

He swam over to the side and heaved himself out of the pool and then started to dry himself on a nice fluffy white towel. I floated for a little while, and then stood up when I heard a door bang. Fred had vanished, along with the rest of the towels and my clothes.

"_Bastard_!" I yelled at the top of my voice and, scrambling out of the pool, I gave chase. I sprinted after him, shouting expletives the whole way back to Gryffindor Tower, and then skidded to a mortified halt in front of the rest of Gryffindor, who were for some reason gathered around the _outside _of the Tower, which was a little odd.

My face started to burn as a horrified blush spread all over, and I could see Fred doubled over with laughter, clutching my clothes and the towels. Ignoring the astonished (and several leering, which was just gross) gazes directed at me, I raised my chin, marched over to Fred and demanded my clothes back. Fortunately just as I was struggling back into them the teachers started leading all the pupils off towards the Great Hall, and so I was left to get changed in peace.

George and Keira hung back to find out what I thought I was up to as I hurried into my jumper.

"That prat standing next to you thought it would be highly amusing to steal my clothes and all the towels after we went for a bath."

"Why did you go for a bath?" Keira wanted to know.

"Because we went in the lake and played with the Giant Squid," Fred explained matter-of-factly. George and Keira both gasped, and I laughed.

"He's very friendly actually. I may go back soon. So, why was everyone out here?"

In answer, George pointed out the portrait of the Fat Lady. It was slashed in many places and the Fat Lady was totally absent.

"Sirius Black," Keira said by way of explanation, and I put my head in my hands.

"Idiot," I said loudly and then marched up to examine the cuts he'd made. "Jeesh, he didn't have to be so violent!"

Fred and George grabbed me, and with Keira following, started steering me towards the Great Hall.

"If you know where he is, you need to tell someone."

"I _don't_ know where he is right now," I told them perfectly truthfully, meeting their eyes with total sincerity.

I guessed he had escaped into the grounds again, and I was utterly sure he would be absolutely fine, so I was able to reach the Great Hall and feel only annoyance that I would have to share sleeping space with eight hundred other people; whereas everybody else was looking totally freaked out. Fred and George headed off to one side of the room, but I was mad at Fred for embarrassing me so badly so I waited for the Hufflepuffs to arrive and sought out Cedric.

"Hi," I said once I managed to find him.

"Hey. How come you're over here instead of with Gryffindor?"

"Because Fred played a rather insensitive practical joke on me and I don't wish to be around him in case I am tempted to strangle him in his sleep."

"Ah," Cedric said with a laugh, and I found a sleeping bag next to him, in a corner, and all his other friends settled down on the other side of him. I got the shock of my life when a canine nose was thrust up against the back of my neck several minutes later, and turned to find Sirius's face about three inches from my own, looking very happy.

"You're suicidal," I informed him conversationally, and shifted so he could lie against the wall, hidden from sight. He gave a very un-doglike shrug and lay down. I turned over to find Cedric looking at me.

"What?" I asked, and got several angry 'shh!'s from nearby. "What?" I repeated in a whisper, and he grinned.

"Your dog _is _bizarre."

On the other side of me, Sirius raised his head and gave Cedric his doggy grin, and then lay back down again. I muffled a laugh.

"Yeah."

"I can't believe Black got into the castle. Filch has got all the secret passages covered."

I managed to keep a straight face.

"Maybe he just came in through a window. After all, the dementors are only patrolling the perimeter, not the grounds themselves. Once he's in, he's safe."

Cedric gave me a long look. "You wouldn't happen to know how he got in, would you? After all, he is your godfather."

I blinked innocently. "Well, I couldn't find him to ask him." Which was perfectly true, because I didn't have to ask to find out.

"Hmph," Cedric said, then rolled onto his back and shut his eyes, his breathing slowing. Around me most other talking had ceased, but I could pick out whispers from the point where Harry, Hermione and Ron were lying, not too far away from me, and wondered briefly what they were talking about.

Roughly five hours later I was still totally awake, unable to sleep with so many other people around me. I rolled over and caught sight of my dad coming my way.

"Crap, Sirius, get in my sleeping bag!" I whispered hurriedly, poking him in the shoulder. He was hidden (although not brilliantly) in a flash, and I curled up to make the bulge where he was hiding was less obvious and feigned sleep.

My dad stopped at my head, and I felt his hand smooth my hair back from my face, and then he planted a kiss on my forehead and moved on. I heard him speak to Dumbledore in a low voice, and then he disappeared to patrol the dungeons with Professor Sprout.

Sirius wiggled out and settled back down against the wall with a bored air, going back to sleep almost straight away. I tossed and turned for a little longer and then, abandoning all pretences, sat up and looked around. Professor McGonagall noticed me first and hurried over.

"Are you alright, Miss Lupin?"

"Actually, Professor, I need to go to the bathroom."

"Okay, dear, I'll get someone to accompany you."

"I can go by myself, my dog will look after me."

"A dog is not suitable protection against Sirius Black. And besides, you're not really supposed to have a dog in school."

"But I left him at home last year and he pined so dreadfully he almost died. He very well behaved, honest. And I'm not in any danger from Sirius Black, Professor, he's my godfather and he's innocent besides."

"I'm not about to argue with you when you are so obviously wrong. Ah, here we go, Percy can accompany you."

I turned to see Percy Weasley coming towards me, and stifled a groan. Jeesh, Percy of all people? Did McGonagall hate me that much?

I got to my feet regardless, nudging Sirius awake, sensing this could be a good time to sneak him out, and walked next to Percy out of the Great Hall and along the corridor to the nearest bathroom. Sirius followed me in while Percy waited outside, and immediately transformed.

"Is that another Weasley kid?" he whispered with a knowing grin, and I smiled back.

"Yeah, but he's a git. Fred and George hate him."

"You want me to freak him out?"

I thought for a moment. It was very, _very _tempting, but I didn't think it was worth risking Sirius' freedom just for the sake of some petty revenge.

"As much as I would like to say yes, no. Go on, get out the window, quick. And don't get caught."

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a mock salute, and I whacked his arm and then opened the window for him. He dropped down to the grass outside and I leant out. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and grinned again.

"Thank you again for believing in me."

I shrugged. "I stand up for everyone I love, no matter how many people I have to fight against."

He hugged me quickly, then transformed and padded off into the darkness. I sighed, flushed a random toilet, washed my hands quickly and then went out to where Percy was standing, looking quite nervous.

"Quickly now, we don't want to be exposed for too long."

I muffled a giggle and dropped a pace or so behind Percy, and then after we had walked in silence for a little while, pounced on him with a 'rawr' noise. He yelled in fright and all I saw was red light before I blacked out.

~x~

I woke up in the Hospital Wing the next day, thinking how awful was Percy was at taking jokes and opened my eyes to find Fred and George sitting by my bed.

"Hi!" I said perkily, sitting up. They both gazed at me with identical, worried expressions.

"Did Percy really see Black and accidentally hit you with a Stunner when he aimed at him?"

I stared at them for a moment in shock, and then burst into hysterical laughter.

"What?" George asked in surprise. When I could catch my breath I managed to speak.

"No! Not in any way. I came out of the bathroom and he was all tense, so we got halfway back then I jumped on him with a 'rawr' sound, to give him a fright, and he Stunned me."

Fred and George both burst into laughter this time, and it took us a good five minutes to stop. Eventually Madam Pomfrey came out of her office to see who was making all the noise, and immediately told Fred and George off.

"You two should be in lessons!"

"We have a free period now," Fred said blandly, and Madam Pomfrey accepted the lie quite readily and turned back to me. She checked me over quickly, and then pronounced me quite fit to go back into lessons.

By the end of the day we had spread the story throughout most of the school, and I do believe that Percy had people jumping out and going 'rawr' about eight times a day for about a month.

~x~

In the middle of November whispers went round the whole of fifth year (except Slytherin) about a party. A few bright sparks in various houses (Fred and George included, of course) had decided to utilise the Room of Requirement on a mass scale and hold a big party on November 17th for no reason that I can deduce other than that it seemed a good idea.

I found a nice party dress and went early with Fred and George to set up. Fortunately the Room itself did most of the work, and all we had do (plus the ten or so other organisers) was provide the food and drink.

Someone brought firewhiskey as well as several muggle spirits, and soon there was a table groaning under the weight of all the bottles. As more and more people arrived, all having snuck out of their dormitories and common rooms, the drink gradually disappeared bit by bit, until a Ravenclaw girl had the idea of performing refilling spells on everything.

I had never drunk alcohol much before, but I had soon lost count of how much I had drunk. Everything was very hard to focus on, and when someone called a game of something called 'spin the bottle' I was intrigued and sat down in the large circle.

The rules were duly explained and the bottle charmed so it wouldn't land on the same sex as the spinner and then spun. It landed on me after about twelve spins, and I was matched up with a random Ravenclaw. I kissed him chastely on the lips, and sat back down.

I kissed another Ravenclaw and a wildly grinning, very drunk George and then had a very long run without the bottle landing on me. I had almost lost interest when Cedric span and it landed on me. I kissed him quickly and withdrew, but then when I span it landed on him again.

To cries of 'tongues!' I had to properly kiss him, full on, and when we parted, breathless, there was some indefinable look in his eyes that I was sure was mirrored in my own.

The game broke up after a little while, and as the alcohol created more and more confusion in my head I found Cedric and murmured something slurred and probably totally random, and then my hand was in his and we were running down a hallway together somewhere, the party fast receding behind us.

~x~

I woke up the next morning to an astonishing prevalence of yellow that made my eyes hurt. That was worrying. I took a minute to think about it. Okay, so the hangings weren't red. That meant I wasn't in my bed. Neither was I in Fred or George's bed. So if I wasn't in a Gryffindor bed, then who was I with? Someone stirred sleepily next to me, and I twisted to see who it was. Relief warred with anxiety. Cedric's grey eyes were staring back at me, clouded with sleep. As I watched, they cleared slightly. He blinked a couple of times.

"What happened last night?" He asked croakily, starting to sit up then moaning as he felt his headache. I tried to remember, but all I got was blackness.

"I don't know. There was the party … and a game … and then we ran somewhere … but that's the extent of my memory."

He nodded in either agreement or comprehension, and raised his hand to his head with a moan of pain. My eyes flew to his bare ring finger. When I spoke, my voice cracked horribly.

"Um, Cedric, where's your ring?"

He glanced down, and then over at me. They travelled quickly to my neck and then widened. I looked down quickly, and saw, hanging next to my locket, Cedric's silver ring. I glanced up at him in total horror, and then remembered something.

"Ten galleons," I said suddenly, holding out my hand.

"Huh?" he asked blankly, looking like he still couldn't quite digest the realisation of what we had been up to last night.

"Cough up, I win the bet."

He sighed. "Is that really all you can think about?"

I thought about that and then shrugged. "We can't change what we did, Cedric, so we might as well just accept that we had sex and move on. It's not going to kill you."

He sat up and put his face in his hands, taking deep breaths. I copied him, sitting up, but keeping the sheet around me.

"Does it bother you that much? Am I really that repulsive that you wish you didn't sleep with me?"

"No, of course not, you've got to be one of the prettiest girls I know, but we're friends and we've just sent our friendship into total self-destruct."

"It'll only self-destruct if we let it," I protested, catching hold of his hand. "Cedric, it's fine. We just made a mistake. We can just forget about it and move on, with our friendship intact. We have no obligation to each other in a boyfriend/girlfriend type way, so we can just get on with our lives. Now, give me my winnings."

With an overly-dramatic sigh he reached over to his beside table, got his money bag and counted out ten galleons.

"Are you sure that this doesn't mean – "

I cut him off quickly. "Cedric, we're not meant to be together in this way, I'm sure of it. We're designed to be friends, nothing more. My Prince Charming is still out there somewhere, and so is your princess."

"Does your Prince Charming have red hair, by any chance?" Cedric asked blandly. I gave him a hard stare, and then held out my hand for the galleons.

He handed them over and I accepted them happily and then got out of the bed, dragging the sheet with me to keep myself covered, fighting my way out of the hangings. I was met with the amused gazes of two of Cedric's dormmates, who were obviously the only ones who had made it back.

"Hi," I said with an embarrassed smile. One of them held out my clothes.

"Uh, thanks," I said, and went into the bathroom to change quickly. My bra was missing but it was far too embarrassing to go out there and ask for it, so I just sauntered out casually and waved goodbye to Cedric, who was half-dressed.

"I'll see you later," I said with a half-smile and headed off down the stairs, ignoring the astonished stares of several Hufflepuff second and third years who were up in the common room. I checked the clock on my way past – almost two o' clock in the afternoon.

I had to cover my eyes on the way back to Gryffindor Tower because the sunlight coming through the windows was making my head hurt like a bitch. I was almost halfway back when I had a sudden desire to see the disorder left behind by the party, so I switched course and headed for the Room of Requirement.

~x~

It was carnage.

Passed out bodies lay across each other, with empty bottles here and there and rubbish everywhere. I couldn't pick out Fred, George or Keira in the confusion so I figured they had already left. I left quickly and walked back to Gryffindor Tower, pausing only to swear at the stupid knight that had taken over from the Fat Lady.

He insisted that he had changed the password overnight, and after he repeatedly refused to open for me I swore at him in fury and stalked off down the corridor to the picture of the centaurs. I explained my plight to them.

They seemed willing enough, and charged out of their picture, down the hallway and into Sir Cadogan's. I watched in satisfaction as they bashed him around, and then when they had all cleared off, leaving him bruised on the grass, I repeated the password one last time.

"Go on then, you yellowbelly," he said with a moan, and I grinned and clambered up into the common room. I caught sight of Keira in a chair to one side of the fire and hurried over to her.

"Hey, Ki, when did you get back?"

She glanced up. "Oh, Lupe, there you are! I got back last night actually, I had to drag George back, he was so drunk. I hope he got to bed alright. Uh, shall we go up to our dorm?" she asked quickly. I shrugged and followed her.

"So why'd we need to get up here so fast?"

"Well, Fred just came in and he's completely mad at you right now."

I swallowed. "Did he see me and – "

"You and Cedric kiss? Yeah, but I personally think he's overreacting, because it was just a game, and you know – "

It was my turn to interrupt. "Uh, Ki, I didn't _just _kiss him …"

Her eyes were round as saucers. "How far did you go?"

I bit my lip. "All the way," I said in a quiet voice. She just sat there and gaped at me.

"Say something!" I begged, and she closed her mouth with a snap.

"You and Cedric? But … but …"

"I'm not _with_ him now or anything," I informed her hurriedly, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. "It was just a big alcohol-induced mistake and we're just going to forget about it altogether and pretend it never happened."

"Oh, okay. So you're not going out with him or anything?"

I laughed. "No. Not in any way."

"Phew. I would have to kill you if you got a boyfriend that hot."

I laughed harder, and soon our conversation turned around to totally different subjects.

~x~

**Hey! Hope you likey :)**

**Ooh, I just remembered, I have a poll on my profile about who should die in this story. Could anyone who has a minute pleasey just clickety-click and give me your opinion? Thanks awfully :D**


	22. What?

**"It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. Here, nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something." - Graham, Crash**

~x~

Fred stayed very mad (like _I'm-not-even-going-to-stay-in-the-same-room-as-you _mad) at me for a long time, almost three weeks in total, and then we parted for the Christmas holidays, when he went home and I went to stay with Keira. I eventually managed to corner him one morning after the return to school before breakfast, over a month and a half later.

"You," I said, pushing him into a chair and sitting down in an armchair opposite. "Spill. Tell me what your problem is and we'll sort it out."

He glared at me. "My problem? My problem is you fucking Diggory, that's what my problem is."

I suppressed a sigh. "Fred, it was a very big mistake induced by severe alcohol consumption. We are not together in any way, shape or form, never have been and never will be. It was just one night that has been forgotten about by everyone except you. And there's no need to be so aggressive."

He blinked at me a couple of times, and I felt suddenly ill with the worry that he wasn't going to accept it and would just stay mad. I really hated fighting with Fred.

"Are you sure he doesn't like you like that?"

"Yes," I replied, the sick-feeling getting worse.

"And you promise there's nothing going on between you now?"

"Yes. Absolutely."

He glared for a little while longer, and then he caved. "Okay, so long as you promise."

I jumped up, feeling much better, although surprised he had given in so fast, and hugged him.

"You know, you could have just talked to me earlier, and then we wouldn't have had this huge problem with the whole not-talking thing."

"Ah well, what's done is done."

We started walking towards the Great Hall for breakfast.

"I was just about to forgive you anyway," Fred said suddenly, with a mischievous grin.

"Oh yeah, I really bel – ooh, I smell strawberries!" I indeed could smell strawberries, and suddenly wanting to have some strawberries very badly I quickened my pace and grabbed a seat at the Gryffindor table, filling my plate with strawberries and cream.

"Yummy," I said with delight. "I haven't had strawberries in ages."

I was on the way to second lesson, Charms, when I had to run to the nearest bathroom to throw up. Keira and Isobel followed me in.

"Are you alright?" Keira asked worriedly as I came out of the cubicle.

"Yeah," I said with a grimace. "I just remembered why I haven't had strawberries in ages. I'm allergic to them."

Keira and Isobel laughed. "You are quite certifiably insane," Isobel said cheerfully as we headed off to Flitwick's classroom. I just shrugged in agreement. What's true is true.

~x~

January faded into February, and all anybody in Gryffindor could think about or talk about was the match against Ravenclaw and Harry's Firebolt.

I was also thinking about Harry's Firebolt, but in a rather different way. I hadn't seen Uncle Sirius for quite a while, and I wasn't ever in the mood to go and wander around the grounds at night alone – the dementors came into the grounds overnight, and nothing was worth trying to get past them. I was one hundred per cent certain that Uncle Sirius had sent Harry the Firebolt, to make up for not being a part of his life, and I was insanely jealous. After all, I'd been away from my Uncle Sirius for twelve years, too.

He didn't even send me a Christmas card.

I know, right?! I was the one who smuggled him into the grounds, and in and out of the castle on several occasions, and he hadn't even come to find me to wish me Merry Christmas!

I was awake one bitterly cold morning at about five AM, unable to get back to sleep, and lying staring up at the canopy of my bed, wondering why Sirius hadn't been to see me for so long. I sighed and rolled over, and then suddenly had to take a flying leap out of bed to run to the bathroom to be sick.

As I cleaned myself and the bathroom up, I forced down a niggling, suspicious worry that was gnawing at the back of my mind and went back into the dorm and opened the window, leaning out and taking several deep breaths to clear my mind and help chase the sickness away.

Refusing to even think about it, I got dressed quietly and headed down to the Common Room. There was no-one around, and it was still very dark outside the windows. I curled up in an armchair next to the fire and stared into its depths, and then was roused from my un-thinkingness by a howl in the Forest.

It wasn't a wolf howl, it was a dog howl. You can tell the difference by the timbre – wolves have very resonant howls that carry for miles, whereas dogs' howls are thinner and less able to travel any distance.

I snuck out of the common room and through the quiet corridors of the castle, pausing only to hide from Peeves. I wriggled out of a downstairs window and headed out across the lawn.

A terrible chill ran down my spine when I tried to change forms to sneak into the forest and was unable to. Usually it just came naturally, but I tried and nothing happened. I pulled out my wand and spoke the spell that I had originally used to change, but nothing happens.

I decided that my sickness had made me weaker than usual and carried on to the eaves of the Forest. I went in a few metres and then stopped when I was hidden from the castle, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

I was suddenly bowled over by an overjoyed, very large black dog. I hugged him back for a while, pushing my worries out of my mind for the moment, and then stood back while he transformed.

"Uncle Sirius!" I said excitedly, grinning fit to burst. He looked a lot worse than the last time I had seen him; thinner and dirtier, and his hair was growing back more matted than ever. I sighed. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to take a bath occasionally."

He grinned, and then held up a handkerchief. "Here, tie this around your eyes. I want to give you your Christmas present."

I beamed. "Okay," I said, taking the blindfold and tying it in a knot around my face. He took my hand and led me forwards, making sure I didn't trip up on any roots. I sniffed the air as we went, trying to determine where the heck we were going, but all I could smell was the forest around me.

Then a new scent entered the air: sweet and spicy and totally unfamiliar.

"Okay, you can look now," Uncle Sirius said, and untied the blindfold from my eyes. I blinked. Sitting in the middle of the clearing, looking slightly confused, was an extremely cute white tiger cub. My mouth opened and shut a few times.

"That's … you … you got me a tiger?! Uncle Sirius, you're the best!" I gave him a massive, bone-crushing hug and then moved towards the tiger slowly.

"Hey, little one, aren't you just the cutest little thing? C'mere, I won't hurt you, I promise," I murmured, crouching down and getting closer and closer. I eventually made it to right next to him. He looked up at me with worried blue eyes, and I stroked his soft head gently. He pushed up against the caress and, shyness apparently abandoned, rubbed himself up against my legs like a cat.

I picked him up and looked him right in the eye. He licked my nose and then sneezed. I cradled him carefully and turned back to Sirius.

"Uncle Sirius, I can say with utter sincerity that this is the single best present I have ever gotten in my whole life. Thank you a million times!" I hugged him again, carefully, making sure not to squish the tiger cub, who put his big, out-of-proportion paws on my shoulder and gazed around.

"Well, I had to make up for all those missed birthdays and Christmas's, and as I got Harry something I knew would mean a lot to him I thought about what I should get you, and then I remembered that you loved animals. He's kind of meant to represent you – you're both fierce and loyal and stubborn and individual and surprisingly unafraid of anything. What are you going to call him?"

I thought about it for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe … maybe … hey, what was the name of that fighter pilot in Top Gun?"

"What's a top gun?" Sirius asked, looking confused. I frowned and thought hard.

"…Maverick. That's what I'm going to call him. Maverick."

"That's a good name. It means like a trickster, right?"

"Kind of. It's someone who doesn't play by the rules and uses unconventional methods to get what they want."

"Nice. Now you ought to get back into school before anyone notices you're gone."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks again. Oh, and merry Christmas!" I said with a grin.

"Merry Christmas," he replied with a laugh, then transformed and headed back off into the Forest. I adjusted Maverick so that he was more comfortable in my arms and started walking. He put his paws on either side of my neck and snuggled down happily.

I stroked his soft fur absently as I made my way back up to the castle, and then found myself with a dilemma. How was I going to get Maverick through the window?

It took me ten minutes of wriggling and shoving to get us both through unhurt, and then Maverick darted off around the empty classroom we had come in to, curious about everything.

"C'mon, Maverick," I called in a low voice, making kissy noises with my mouth. He scampered towards me, tripped over on his big paws and landed in a heap at my feet with an astonished squeak. I laughed at him and picked him up again. "You're silly," I told him, and talked nonsense to him most of the way back to Gryffindor Tower.

Sir Cadogan let me through with fewer insults than usual, probably astounded by the fact that I was carrying a tiger, and I headed quickly across the common room and back up into my dorm. I went across to my bed and dumped Maverick down, then hopped up myself and drew the hangings shut.

Maverick desisted from sniffing at my pillows and wandered over to me where I sat, gazing into space. I laughed as he clambered into my lap and tickled his ears. He started purring deeply, which surprised me, because I didn't realise tigers could purr.

I rubbed his tummy, and he keeled over to one side with his eyes half-closed and an expression of total bliss on his face. I giggled as I stroked him, and then he starting twisting and trying to gnaw on my fingers. I dabbled them in his face and he wrapped his overlarge paws around my wrist and started chewing.

I let him nibble for a little while and then got the shock of my life when my hangings were suddenly wrenched open. I fell off the bed in my shock.

"Jeesh, Ki, don't _do _that!" I complained, standing up and dusting myself off.

"What is _that_?!" She asked, pointing at Maverick in astonishment. I grinned and scooped him up into my arms.

"_That _is Maverick. He's a white tiger. He was my birthday/Christmas present from my Uncle Sirius."

"How on earth are you going to hide him? The dog I can just about understand, but a _tiger_?"

I made my face look really upset. "My dog ran away. Uncle Sirius thought that Maverick might cheer me up. And besides, I don't have to hide him, he's allowed."

"No, we're allowed toads, owls or cats."

"And there you have it. Cats. A tiger is a cat."

Keira sighed and shook her head. "You're walking a knife-edge there."

I grinned. "I know."

~x~

I was awake for what felt like the hundredth morning in a row, sitting in the bathroom feeling white and shaky having just thrown up. I got up to do the usual cleaning up, and was somewhat surprised when someone banged on the door. No-one else was usually up at this time.

I cleaned myself up quickly and then went over to the door and opened it.

"Oh, Ki, it's just you," I said, relieved. I was about to open the door and go out and get dressed, feeling exhausted, but she pushed her way into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. "Hey, as much as I love you I don't particularly want to watch you shower."

"No, sit down and stop with the smart-ass comments for a minute."

I sat, surprised. "What's bugging you, Ki?"

She awarded me a long, hard stare. "I think you're pregnant," she said directly. I just sat there and blinked like a bunny caught in the headlights.

"But … but … I'm only fifteen! I can't be pregnant. It's not possible."

Keira sighed and sat down on the floor opposite me. "It's perfectly possible. In fact, I'm surprised the thought hasn't occurred to you before. It's obvious enough."

I shook my head, trying to clear the funny buzzing noise in my ears. "I'm sure it's just a … a stomach bug, or food poisoning or something."

"Alyss, you've thrown up every morning for the last three weeks. You missed the Ravenclaw game because you were sick then. Stomach bugs don't last three weeks. And I'm certain it would never have occurred to you or Cedric to use protection."

"Hey, we were drunk …" I protested, trying to stop the horrific news from sinking in. There was a scratching at the door, and I reached up to open it and allow Maverick in.

"Hey, Mav," I said, rubbing his ears. He was growing up fast – he was at mid-thigh level now, and still shooting upwards (and outwards). He stretched out on the floor between Keira and I and shut his eyes as I played lazily with the fur on the scruff of his neck. I finally looked up to meet Keira's eyes.

"What should I do? Y'know, if I am …" I didn't want to say it out loud – it would be like confirming it to myself.

"Well, right now you should go see Madam Pomfrey. Just to make sure you're okay."

"Madam Pomfrey? But then everyone in the whole school will know by this afternoon."

"No, I was reading about it the other day. She has to keep any information given to herself if requested, so all you have to do is ask that she doesn't tell anyone, not even the headmaster."

"And she won't?" I asked, getting to my feet. Maverick got up with a grumble and stretched, then padded behind me as Keira dragged me out into the dorm.

"No, she won't. Now get dressed. We'll go see her right away."

I started getting dressed, and had got into my skirt, tights and underwear (although not in that order) when I paused suddenly and headed over to the mirror. I turned sideways and pressed my hand against my tummy.

As I gazed at the slight bulge there, I had to admit that I had been extremely dense in not noticing.

"C'mon, get dressed!" Keira whispered, and I hurried into the rest of my clothes.

"Where are you guys going?" Isobel asked sleepily from her bed.

"Hospital Wing. Alyss is sick," Keira said quickly, and then bustled me out.

It was still very early, about six o' clock, so the corridors were deserted. Maverick was following close behind us, and I was so absorbed into my thoughts that I didn't notice the person striding down the corridor towards the three of us.

"Oh, hi, Remus – oh, I mean Professor."

My dad grinned at Keira. "Don't worry, Remus is fine when there's no-one else around. What are you two doing up so early?"

I thought very fast. "I was sick so we're just going to Madam Pomfrey to get something to make it better."

"Oh, honey, are you alright?" he asked, drawing me into a hug. I hugged him back briefly, then stepped away in case he noticed the slight rounding in my stomach that was too firm to be just fatness. "Do you want me – what in hell is that?!" he exclaimed suddenly.

I glanced behind me. "That's Maverick, Dad. Didn't you meet him already? Maverick, Dad; Dad, Maverick."

"Where on Earth did you get a tiger from?" my dad asked as soon as he had regained the power of speech.

"Uncle Sirius gave him to me. He's to make up for all the missed birthdays and Christmas's."

"Alyss, you can't keep a tiger, especially not in school."

I sighed. "Dad, I am so not having this argument with you now. I'm Maverick's just as much as he is mine, and there is no question of him being taken away. Now, if you'd excuse me, I feel like crap right now and I want something to make it better."

I pushed past him and headed down the hallway, Keira and Maverick on either side of me. I didn't look back over my shoulder. At the furious pace I set, we reached the Hospital Wing very quickly.

I halted outside the doors. "Ki, I'm scared," I admitted quietly. She hugged me for a long moment, and I felt tears overspill. "I'm not ready for a baby."

"No-one is at our age. C'mon, let's go," she said softly, and pushed one of the doors open. Maverick reached up and rubbed his head against my dangling hand. I took strength from their reassurances and moved forward. The Hospital Wing was almost empty, but Madam Pomfrey came rushing out of her office almost straight away. She sighed when she saw me, and led me straight over to a spare bed, away from the other people, and drew the screens.

"What have you done to yourself this time?" she asked in exasperation. I sat down on the bed and looked down at the ground, gulping and attempting to form words but finding myself incapable.

Keira eventually spoke for me. "We … we think she's pregnant."

Madam Pomfrey frowned. "Well, if it's got to the stage where you've noticed, then you probably are. Lie down on the bed."

I complied, reaching out for Keira's hand. She took it and sat down in the chair next to the bed. Madam Pomfrey had disappeared off somewhere, and while she was gone Maverick jumped up onto the bed and curled up next to me.

When Madam Pomfrey returned, she was very shocked to see a tiger next to me.

"It's okay, don't worry, he's mine. He's just like a cat, only bigger," I explained quickly. She sniffed and set a big basin down on the table next to the bed.

"I just need to prick your finger, okay? The potion needs blood to give a result."

I held out my hand dutifully, and ignored the small stabbing in my index finger, and then the three of us leant over the basin to wait (Maverick was asleep again).

"What will happen?" I asked quietly, terrified of the result. The potion was an innocent, swirling clear potion.

"If it goes blue you're clear. If it goes pink, you're pregnant. It will take about thee minutes."

We waited. Those three minutes were the tensest three minutes of my whole life. I prayed with everything I had, promising to go to Church and become a nun if I could just be clear, and not have to worry about –

"Positive. You're going to have a baby, Miss Lupin."

I lay back down, my world crashing down around me. Keira moved onto the bed next to me and hugged me tight. Eventually though a nagging worry fought its way through the despair to the front of my mind, and I sat up to look at Madam Pomfrey, who was waiting patiently.

"Please can you not tell anyone?" I asked in a cracked voice, and she nodded.

"We need to discuss your options now."

"Options?" I said, wiping away tears.

"Yes. For the moment, you have two options. You can either carry the baby to term or choose to terminate the pregnancy right now."

"What's terminate?"

"End. A simple potion will kill the foetus and wash it from – "

I interrupted her. "Wait, kill it? I can't kill it. It's a life, it has the right to live."

Keira sighed. "Alyss, now is _so _not the time to get all moral."

I shook my head violently. "I'm not being moral! How can you even suggest killing it? It's a little tiny person in there. I don't want it right now, but that doesn't mean I should kill it."

Madam Pomfrey looked a little flustered. "Oh dear. Well, in the whole time I've been at Hogwarts … that is to say, you are the first girl who has come to me in this situation and not chosen to terminate. Excuse me for one moment, please."

"Don't tell anyone," I said entreatingly, and she paused on her way back to her office.

"Of course not. I keep the secrets I am entrusted with." Then she shut the door behind her.

I scratched Maverick's ears as he chased his dreams, his big paws twitching. Keira sighed.

"Oh, Lupe, it would be so much simpler to just terminate it right now. Think about it; if you keep it, you have to deal with all the mutterings, the rumours, the stereotyping. You'll have to tell Cedric, and then your Dad and Fred, and I'm not sure who'll be madder."

I shut my eyes for a moment. "Fred is going to kill me," I said a despairing voice.

"Exactly," said Keira quickly, seizing a hold of my momentary weakness. "If you just chose to get rid of it right now, then – "

We both jumped a mile as the screen was suddenly pulled back. I put a hand to my rapidly-beating heart.

"Jeesh, you guys have _got _to stop doing that!" I complained as I recognised Fred and George, and then the full implication of their arrival sunk in.

"Uh, what are you guys – "

"Isobel said you were sick so we came to check on you. You hardly ever get sick," George said, taking one of the seats next to the bed. I noticed Madam Pomfrey coming back over holding a book, and I turned desperately to Fred and George.

"You guys need to _leave_. Now."

"Why?"

"Um, it's a girl thing," Keira said quickly, but then it was too late. Fred's eyes zoomed in on the book Madam Pomfrey was carrying, his brow creasing. Madam Pomfrey came over and placed the book in my lap. I picked it up to look at it. It had a picture of a baby on the front with some cute flowers, and the words 'My Pregnancy Journal'.

"What the … Alyss, why do you need a … oh, no." Fred eyes moved from the book to meet mine, and then flicked down to my stomach. I tugged on my jumper.

"Who?" Fred spat out savagely, his eyes turned from light-hearted and joking to ice-cold and incensed in an instant. I reached out a hand to him, but he grabbed my wrist and held it tight.

"Ow, Fred, you're hurting me!" I protested, terrified by the look in his eyes.

"Who is the father?" he ground out, his grip tightening. I could feel tears rising, and I battled them down.

"Cedric," I eventually managed to choke out. Fred flung my wrist away with a stream of curses and stormed out of the room without another word. Holding my wrist, I gazed at George desperately. He patted my arm reassuringly.

"I'll go talk to him," he said gently, and then headed out of the Hospital Wing without looking back, just like his brother.

"Are you still sure you want to keep this baby?" Madam Pomfrey asked. I gazed up at her, and opened my mouth.

~x~

**I am an evil child!**

**Heehee. Now, hopefully, unless you clicked on the links in my profile, you didn't see this coming. If you didn't go clickety-click on the links for the Valparaiso banners in my profile yet, maybe you could take a peek when you have a moment?**

**I find it easier to write when I can visualise the characters in my head, so I have a list of people I tend to associate with the characters in this story:**

**Alyss – Vanessa Hudgens (I'm sorry if you don't like her, and I've just ruined this for you, but she just looked the best for the character)**

**Remus Lupin – Matthew Perry (David Thewlis is **_**not **_**the Remus in my head. Never was, never will be.)**

**Sirius Black – Gary Oldman (I think that's his name – he's the dude in the film, so no worries there.)**

**Harry Potter – Daniel Radcliffe (Yeah, he kinda sucks in the movies, but everyone associates him with Harry anyway so I figured I'd just leave well enough alone.)**

**James Potter – Billy Burke (He has the black hair, and a really nice face, and plus I just adore him, especially in that film about the country singer that I can't remember)**

**Cedric Diggory – Robert Pattinson (Of course! I just adore him.)**

**Keira O'Donnell – Kay Panabaker (Has anyone seen Read It And Weep on Disney Channel? Anyway, it's that girl, only imagine her with black hair and green eyes.)**

**Charlie Weasley – Kevin Jonas (Only with red hair .. which would be weird, but there's just something about him that makes me think of Kevin Jonas. Random, I know.)**

**You notice that I've missed out our two favourite characters – Fred and George! Well, the truth is, I simply can't find the perfect fit. I've tried a great many young actors, but none of them work. The guys in the film are alright, but they're not **_**my **_**Fred and George, you know? If you have anyone you think could work, or pictured any of the characters above differently, don't hesitate to say so in a review or a PM or something.**

**Now you just have to wait on tenterhooks and find out whether mini-Alyss/Cedric will be given a chance at life.**


	23. Dazed

"**Who's to know what's in the future?**

**Every hope will be with her, **

**We have all our love to give her." – Kate Bush, Lyra**

~x~

"You think Fred being an idiot is going to change my mind?" I asked with some amusement. "Madam Pomfrey, Fred is an idiot six days out of seven, so him being all stroppy is not going to persuade me to become a murderer."

Both Madam Pomfrey and Keira sighed at the same time.

"Alyss, you _can't _stay pregnant," Keira said, resuming the attack. "Think of all the consequences! We've got O. this year! How will you do them?"

I did some quick mental calculation. "Well if it was … November, then that'll be … July or August before the baby is ready to be born, so I'll still be able to sit my exams, no problem."

"Yes, problem! You're fifteen!"

"I know. I'm not ready to be a mother, but I'd rather be a mother than a murderer. Ki, nothing you say is going to change my mind."

She mouthed wordlessly a few times. I picked up the stupid journal and opened it to the first day, picking up the quill from the bedside table.

"Today I found out I was pregnant," I said, writing as I spoke. "Everyone wants me to kill you, baby, but I'm not going to. You deserve to live, because you're alive and healthy now. I'm going to take very good care of you."

Keira just gazed at me hopelessly. "Nothing will change your mind?" she asked quietly. I shook my head.

"No. And I'd appreciate it if you'd just be my friend rather than my conscience throughout this chaos. I get the feeling I'm going to need support."

"Okay," Keira said, and hugged me again. Madam Pomfrey reappeared with a bottle of something, and handed it to me.

"This is for the morning sickness. Drink it every night before you go to sleep, and it will stop you being sick."

"Thanks," I said, taking it and standing up. "Do I need like check-ups or anything?"

She thought for a moment. "Yes, it would probably be best if you came to see me every week or so, just so I can make sure everything's okay."

I shrugged. "Sure. I'll come back next Thursday, then."

"Yes. Goodbye now," she said as we left. I picked up the journal and poked Maverick as we were going and he grumbled as he got up and padded after us.

We stopped of at Gryffindor Tower so I could drop the journal off, and I tried to persuade Maverick to stay in the dorm, but he followed me insistently.

"Great, he would choose _today _to get all stubborn and annoying," I complained.

Keira studied him for a minute. "I don't think he's trying to annoy you, Lupe, I think he's trying to protect you."

I glanced at her, then back at his stripy back where it stood a little way up the corridor.

"Huh?"

"Look, he's very tense and he's growling at every little noise. I think he's worked out that you're upset and scared, and he wants to make sure nothing else bad happens to you."

"You think?" I asked, gazing at Maverick now. He wasn't really big enough to look scary yet – he was still relatively small and still very cute. I called to him softly.

"Mav, are you protecting me?" He came over to me and rubbed himself against my legs, snuffling at my hand. I grinned and stroked his furry head, feeling tears rising for some unknown reason. I wiped them away quickly. "You're such a good boy," I told him as we carried on walking.

We reached the Great Hall and managed to remain relatively unnoticed until about halfway down, when everything suddenly went very quiet and all eyes turned to fix on me and Keira because of Maverick.

"Crap," I said quietly, and we increased our pace and slid into our seats opposite Fred and George. Fred threw me one look of total contempt and stood up and walked away.

I just couldn't take it. Most people were still staring at us. Maverick had climbed up onto the bench next to me and was pawing at the toast. I felt tears rising and, unable to stop them, got up and almost ran from the Great Hall. Maverick fell off the bench, picked himself up with a snort and then raced after me. I ran up the stairs and took a random turn, tears coursing down my cheeks.

Maverick scampered after me, and I took more turnings, getting myself deliberately lost in the maze of corridors and secret passageways in the school. As I fled, I gasped for breath, refusing to think, pounding my fear and anger and sadness into the stone.

I recognised a tapestry and headed for it, intending to take the secret passageway behind it, but when I wrenched it open I saw something that tore me apart a little bit further.

Cedric jumped away from Cho Chang, looking embarrassed until he caught sight of my expression.

"Alyss? What's the matter?"

I took a deep breath and spoke remarkably calmly, my fingers fisting in Maverick's fur.

"Nothing, I'm just having a very bad day. Please don't let me interrupt." I walked slowly past them both, teeth gritted, and when I reached the other end of the passageway I turned and looked back at Cedric. I started to speak, but I couldn't get any words out, so I fled.

I sprinted out of sight, taking random turns and scrambling through random passageways. Eventually I found a disused classroom and headed right through it, through a door at the back of it and out into another classroom.

Then I sank down onto the floor and bawled my eyes out. My life was a total piece of chicken shit right at that point, for a number of reasons:

1. I was pregnant with one of my best friends' baby  
2. One of my other best friends hated me because of it  
3. Almost everyone thought I should kill my baby  
4. I had no clue how I was going to tell my dad  
5. I knew I would have to tell my dad soon  
6. I kinda wanted to die

I was shocked when a rough tongue started licking at my face, and I pushed Maverick away.

"Ew, boy, that's gross," I said, starting to grin as his sand-paper tongue rasped my cheek. I pulled him up onto my chest and lay back on the floor, my hair spreading out around me, and lay staring up at the ceiling. Maverick nestled down in the crook of my neck and went back to sleep, his tail twitching on the floor beside us.

I don't know how long I lay there. I probably would have stayed there all night if someone hadn't found me. I got quite a shock when the door opened quietly – I hadn't thought anybody would be able to find me. I sat up quickly, dislodging a disgruntled Maverick, and squinted to make the person out.

"Alyss?" he said softly, sounding worried. I sighed and lay back down.

"Hi, Uncle Sirius. Why did you come find me?"

He came over to sit next to me where I lay, and put a hand on the top of my head.

"I was watching for you all day – I wanted to speak to you. But I couldn't see you in any of your lessons, so I went to check the Hospital Wing, but you weren't there. I found your scent going from the Great Hall, though, so I followed it all the way up here."

I nodded in acceptance. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

He ruffled my hair gently. I didn't even try to push him away, and his face contracted with worry.

"Okay, what's the matter? You've been hiding away up here all day, you're a total mess, and you haven't told me to shower or bath once so far. Spill."

I sighed and turned my face away. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Fine, I'll just wait here until you're ready to talk."

"I've done a really stupid thing."

"Haven't we all?"

"No, my thing is really, _really _stupid."

"You can tell me anything, honey," he said suddenly, forcing me to look at him. "I won't tell a soul, not even the trees in the Forest."

"I know. It's just … you'll hate me."

He smiled. "Alyss, I could never hate you."

I sighed, and shut my eyes tight. "I'm having a baby," I said quietly, waiting for the explosion.

He blew out a breath in surprise, and then I was surprised to hear him chuckle.

"What?" I asked.

"That _is _stupid."

"Told you so," I replied with a smile, sitting up. Maverick scrambled into my lap, and I shifted him slightly. "Jeesh, you're getting heavy," I told him. He just purred.

"So, what are you going to do? Keep it?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Every single other person in this place wants me to get rid of it, but I'm keeping it. I'm not going to be a killer."

"Good on you. Stand up for what's right."

"So you're not mad?"

"You're already beating yourself up much better than I ever could."

"I guess."

"Now, you need to get back down to your friends. They're very worried about you."

"No they're not. They didn't even try to find me."

"Alyss, I crossed the paths of six of them this afternoon, all of them looking for you, plus your dad."

"What the hell am I going to tell my dad?"

"I don't know. But tell him soon, okay? He'll appreciate it if the truth comes from you rather than someone else."

I nodded. "Thanks, Uncle Sirius," I said, getting to my feet. He helped me up, and I hugged him briefly before calling to Maverick and heading out of the door. Sirius followed at a distance, and then transformed and took a left turning when I turned right. I called a goodbye and then slowed down, meandering slowly back to Gryffindor Tower.

When I finally reached the common room I headed straight across it and up to the dorm. I pushed the door open and was tackled to the ground by an overjoyed Zoe.

"Ohmigod, Lupe, we thought you'd been eaten by your tiger or something! You just ran out of the Great Hall with Maverick and disappeared. We looked _everywhere _for you. We skipped Divination to search for you, but we couldn't find you anywhere! Your dad was looking too, but he didn't find you either. Keira was the most worried, but she won't tell us why she was so freaked. I mean – "

"Breathe," I said quickly, and she gulped down some air and continued.

"I mean, you go off by yourself quite a lot, but today you were gone for _ages _so we all got worried that something had happened. We saw Cedric, he was looking for you too. He said something about how you'd seen him with that Cho Chang girl from Ravenclaw, but he wasn't entirely sure whether it had bothered you or not, but just in case he wanted to see you and talk to you."

I managed to worm out of her hug and crossed over the room to sit on my bed.

"Why would it bother me?"

"Lupe, they deserve to know," Keira said, sitting down next to me. I sighed, and she continued. "C'mon, we're all sharing a dorm so they're going to find out sooner or later."

I glared at her as Isobel and Zoe immediately started to demand to know what was going on. She just shrugged and grinned.

"I … uh, I'm having a baby," I told them quietly, and their babbling ceased. Isobel dropped to the bed next to me.

"Are you _serious_?" she asked incredulously.

"No, no, I just made it up because my life isn't crap enough right now," I said sarcastically, and she gaped.

"Whoa. A baby. I did _not_ see that coming."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Zoe wanted to know, coming closer.

"I don't know. I don't want to know."

"You're not going to get an abortion?" Zoe asked, studying me. I shook my head. "Good," she said, and it was my turn to be surprised.

"Good? Everybody else who found out told me I should just kill it and pretend like nothing happened."

"Hey, that is _not _what I said," Keira protested. I lay back on my bed and stroked Maverick's head.

"So, when are you due?"

I shrugged again – shrugging was good. It didn't betray any emotion. "Dunno. July or August some time."

"You have to promise to let me come visit you, after he's born, 'kay?" Zoe said, laying down next to me.

"He?" I asked. It was her turn to shrug.

"I think he's a boy. Is he Cedric's?"

"Jeesh, did you drink perceptive juice this morning or something?"

She grinned. "Maybe. So, is he?"

"Yeah."

"Does Cedric know?"

"Do I look stupid?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Isobel said, smiling, and pushed Maverick out of the way so she could lie down. I thought he would growl at her or something, but when I twisted my head to look at him I saw he was fast asleep.

"God, he's sleeping a whole lot today," I said, rubbing his ears. His tail twitched slightly.

"He's probably as tired as you are," Keira said, sitting on the other side of Zoe.

"I'm not tired," I protested with a yawn.

"Um, yah, you are," Isobel pointed out. "You've been up at five every morning for the last three weeks. You have huge bags under your eyes. You're irritable. And, to be frank, you look awful."

"Gee, thanks," I said, shoving her shoulder gently. She smiled.

"Okay, we'll all act quiet-like now, and you get into bed, go to sleep, and eliminate that tiredness."

"Gotcha," I replied and then added, "Mum," with a smile. She grinned back.

"Well, if it takes mothering to keep you healthy through this whole thing then that's just what I'll do."

I smiled and got up. I got into my pyjamas and slid into bed. Maverick half-woke up, wriggled up the bed, put his head on the pillow next to me, put one of his loveably overlarge paws on my tummy and went back to sleep. I smiled and put my hand over his paw, making small circles.

Zoe, taking the mothering thing very seriously, tucked me in, planted a kiss on my forehead and drew my hangings. The effect was rather ruined by Keira shoving her head through the hangings and forcing me to take a sip of the potion, which tasted gross, and Isobel taking her place as soon as she withdrew.

"If you can't sleep, think of baby names. I'm gonna draw up a list for you to look at."

I grinned. "Okay, now will you all just let me sleep?!"

"Well, it is only seven thirty, so I'm not exactly tired yet."

"Well, I am. This baby thing wears on you."

"Fine, fine. We'll just be over here, doing our homework, y'know."

"And gossiping about me, of course."

She beamed. "Of course. I'm glad you're okay with that."

"Well, I – "

But she was gone before I could finish my sentence, so I sighed and stared up at my hangings.

I rolled over to face Maverick, and he opened his eyes and gazed back at me seriously. I sighed again and rubbed my cheek against his.

"Oh, Mav, we're in such deep shit right now," I whispered to him, tears starting to fall down my cheeks. He licked me with his sandpapery tongue and I smiled and shut my eyes as he started to purr. Sleep stole over me quickly after that.

~x~

I woke up in the morning luxuriously late and stretched gladly, feeling wonderful for having slept myself out. I was lying curled up on my side, back to back with Maverick, one arm wrapped around my stomach and the other pillowing my head. I pulled my pyjama top up a bit so I could see the small bulge that was the only sign of the little tiny person growing inside me.

"Hello, baby," I said to it, feeling a lot better and more hopeful today than I had for the previous few weeks. "I'm your mama. I'm gonna take such good care of you, I promise. Even if you're gonna get me in such deep shit with my dad it's not even true. And I gotta sort Fred out. And decide whether or not to get Cedric involved."

I got yet another shock as Keira wrenched my hangings open.

"_Jesus_!" I yelled. "Didn't I tell you _not _to do that?!"

She looked upset. "I'm sorry, I just thought you'd like to know that it's time to get up."

I put an arm out as she turned away. "Sorry, Ki, I don't know what came over me. Don't be mad, I didn't mean it." She stopped and I got out of bed quickly, hugging her, and then put on a puppy-dog face.

"Do you forgive me?"

She paused for a minute, and then grinned. "Yeah. Now get dressed, you lazy little fool."

"Who are you calling little, fool?" I asked as I got into my uniform.

"Who are you calling fool, fool?" she replied with grin, going in to wash her teeth.

I cleaned my face and washed my teeth, revelling in the lack of sickness, and then headed down to breakfast with Zoe, Isobel and Keira. Angelina and Alicia had apparently left about ten minutes before I woke up, which I was grateful for. I was so not in a mood to deal with Angelina's sniping.

We reached our usual seats at the Gryffindor table and, unsurprisingly, Fred got up and left as soon as I arrived. I ignored him and took a seat, glancing over at George as I filled my plate.

"Can you just persuade him to talk to me? I want to get this thing sorted out."

He sighed and passed a hand over his face. "I've tried, honest I have, Alyss. But he's being totally unreasonable, and I'm sorry for his behaviour."

I leaned over and took his hand. "I'm sorry I'm putting you in the middle of this, George."

He smiled idly and squeezed my hand. "Don't worry about it. Oh, and I just want you to know that – even if Fred's not – I'm going to be with you through this whole thing."

"So are we," Keira said from next to me, and Zoe and Isobel nodded. I smiled, feeling tearful again.

"You guys are so sweet. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"Shut up and eat your food now, you're making us blush," Isobel said seriously, resuming eating. I laughed and finished my breakfast.

Third lesson was Defence Against the Dark Arts, and I spent the whole of first two lessons trying to calm myself down to face my father. I mean, he hadn't noticed anything was wrong so far, so what were the chances he was going to notice today? Pretty much zero, I told myself firmly as we made our way into the classroom.

"Wands out today please, class," my dad said from the front, and we all dutifully pulled out our wands. I was sitting in the back with Keira on the opposite side of the room from Fred, who was shooting me daggers every few minutes. I just ignored him for most of the time.

"Okay, step away from your desks, please," my dad was saying, so we all stood to one side as the desks zoomed away to the sides of the classroom.

"Right, today we will be tackling a boggart as a group. I understand that you have learnt about these creatures, but not actually tackled one yet. So I want you to repeat the charm to repel a boggart after me. _Riddikulus!_"

We all repeated it as instructed, and then a long, messy line was formed. I managed to get relatively close to the back, and found myself in front of Fred as the first person began to tackle the boggart. I seized the opportunity.

"Fred, I want to talk to you."

"Well, I don't want to talk to you right now."

"I don't really care about that. What I do care about is the fact that my best friend in the whole world is treating me like dirt, and I'm not okay with that."

"I don't care whether or not you're okay with that."

The line was moving forwards slowly, with laughter and gasps all around us drowning out our conversation.

"Well, you should. Seriously, Fred, I know I've screwed up more majorly than I ever have before, and that's saying something, but I don't need you to be acting like this right now. I need you to be my friend."

"And why should I be your friend?" he snapped, meeting my eyes for the first time. I gazed deep into them, searching for an inch of forgiveness.

"Please, Fred. I know I don't deserve it, but I need you to get me through this more than I need anyone else."

"What about Cedric? Why don't you get _him _involved?"

"Because he doesn't mean as much to me as you do! Jeesh, Fred, I love you so much, but you're acting like you hate me, and it really hurts."

"Alyss, c'mon," someone in front of me shouted, pulling me and Fred out of our little bubble, and I turned to face the boggart, wondering briefly what my biggest fear was.

The boggart had been turned from a snake into a silk scarf caught on a bramble bush, but as I stepped forwards it started to flash into different forms. I held my breath and shut my eyes. There was confused murmuring from behind me, and I opened them.

Sitting in front of me, on the floor, was a small toddler in a nappy. I gazed at her, my wand lowering itself.

She gazed up at me with a face that was an adorable mix of me and Cedric.

I couldn't move. The baby in front of me terrified me totally, but at the same time she drew me in, closer and closer. She was so beautiful, but as I got even closer, I saw that her eyes were a bright, crimson red and I remembered what the thing was that was sitting there.

My wand snapped back up and I shouted "Riddikulus!" furiously, livid that it had almost overcome me. The baby on the floor turned into one of those bags of flour with the baby faces on, but this time no-one laughed. They just muttered among themselves, and then George, who must have seen my face, suddenly called out,

"Jeesh, Alyss, do you really hate little kids that much? What, did one attack you some time?"

That broke the spell, and everyone laughed. The line moved on, and Fred took his turn at the boggart. I didn't see what his turned into, but everyone started laughing, so I assumed he had managed to make it funny. I moved to the back of the line, aware that running away would just make me look guilty.

I got through the rest of that lesson in a total daze, and somehow navigated through the rest of the day in much the same manner.

The thing that scared me most was not that the boggart had almost given me away, but how much I had wanted that baby sitting in front of me. I had wanted to sweep it up, cradle it to me and protect it from the world. It had been such a pretty baby, apart from the red eyes. After lunch, I headed back up to the dorm and dumped my bag, then fell onto my bed.

I placed a hand on my stomach, rubbing gently, and thought. Was I ready for a baby? That was an easy question. Of course I wasn't. I was fifteen, still in school, due to sit major exams in the summer, and boyfriend-less. Not exactly an ideal situation to be bringing a baby into.

Yet … as I thought of that beautiful mix of me and Cedric that had captivated me so, I felt a new kind of longing – a longing to hold that baby, and never let her go.

When everyone else returned to the dormitory, I withdrew into my bed and shut the hangings. Soon after Maverick returned from whatever he'd been doing and climbed up beside me, trying to get me to play with him. I let him chew my fingers for a while, and then Keira got up onto my bed, drawing the hangings shut again behind herself.

"That boggart really shook you up, didn't it?"

I nodded tiredly. "Yeah. I thought that was it, secret's out. But … the weird thing is, Ki, that even though I know I'm not ready for any of this, I really … I really wanted to keep that baby. And now I … I want my baby. I think it's going to be okay, I really do. I don't know how, but I still believe it."

Keira hugged me suddenly. "It will be okay, I promise. I'll make sure it is."

I hugged her back fiercely, tears rising into my eyes. "Thanks, Ki," I said against her shoulder. She drew back and smiled.

"C'mon, it's time for Potions."

"Oh, joy. I really need an hour with Snape right now."

Keira laughed, and we headed off, leaving Maverick to wander off to do whatever it is a tiger does in its free time.

~x~

**Sorry, this was more of a filler chapter than anything else, but I've already got the next one written out so that ought to be up soon, too!**


	24. Holiday

**Rawr! The newest update! I'm dedicating this one to Kimani (VintageConspiracy) because she made me an awesome banner for this story :) The link's on my profile for anyone who's curious.**

**And we broke 100 reviews! Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewing. You made me so happy that I'm updating at about three times my usual speed!**

"**It's too late, baby, there's no turning around  
I've got my hands in my pocket and my head in a cloud" – Boys Like Girls, Hero/Heroine**

~x~

I was sitting in the common room with Keira and Lee the night just before the Easter holidays, and soon enough their talk turned round to Sirius.

"I just can't believe he didn't get caught after the Ravenclaw game. I mean, he was right in the tower and he got out!"

I turned my face away from them so they wouldn't see my smirk. Sirius, in fact, _hadn't _gotten out of Gryffindor Tower that night. As soon as Ron had yelled he'd run off down the stairs, transformed, and headed up to my dormitory. Then we'd both reappeared with the rest of my dorm, wondering what the ruckus was about, and I'd spent the rest of the evening sitting on the floor by the fire with my arm around Sirius's neck, trying desperately hard not to burst into laughter as the teachers went in and out on their search.

All in all, it had been one of the most entertaining evenings I had ever experienced, but unfortunately no-one else viewed it as such, apart from Sirius.

I sighed and headed up to bed with a goodnight to Lee and Keira, and got into bed quickly. Everyone else was already asleep, and soon enough Keira came up and went to bed herself.

I managed to budge Maverick up enough to get space to sleep comfortably – he was getting bigger by the day – but I was awakened suddenly by what sounded like a knocking on the wall behind me. I sat up and turned round to examine the wall.

The knocking sounded again and, intrigued, I knocked back.

My bed suddenly slid forwards and then backwards a little, and then George appeared from under my bed, spitting dust out of his mouth and looking very pleased with himself.

"How…?" I wanted to know, but he 'shh'ed me and climbed onto my bed, drawing the hangings shut behind himself. Maverick burbled sleepily but I stroked his ears to calm him down, and then George put a silencing spell on my hangings so we could talk without waking anyone up.

"Okay, how did you do that?" I asked. He grinned and made me and Maverick budge over so he could snuggle down next to me.

"I blew a hole in the wall. I figured out that our dorms were next to each other a while ago, so I thought I'd make a way through."

"Awesome. But how did you make it silent?"

"I used that muffling charm Flitwick taught us last week."

"Hmm," I said, frowning. "I don't remember that."

"You were probably dreaming, as usual."

"Probably," I agreed with a small laugh, and wriggled down the bed to put my head on the pillow next to George. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

His expression turned very serious. "We need to discuss what we're going to do about Fred," he said.

I sighed and rolled over onto my back. "I don't know what to do. I tried talking to him, but then that fiasco with the baby-boggart happened and so I got totally distracted."

"That was weird. You got completely hooked by that thing. We were all watching, and it was like it had put a spell on you or something. But then you snapped out of it, so that was okay."

"Yeah. I saw its eyes – they were red, and it just creeped me out."

"That would creep anyone out. But it was a very cute baby."

"Wasn't it? I wonder if my baby will look like that."

George smiled. "Don't you go getting all broody yet, you've got another five or six months to go first. Oh, by the way, mum wrote this morning to tell Fred and I that you're coming to stay with us over the holidays because your dad is staying at school. Vanessa's coming as well, and you'll get to see that stolen racehorse, too, because mum's been looking after it."

"She has? I didn't know that. I'll have to thank her for it."

"Mmm. So, what are we gonna do during the holidays?"

"Everything," I said with a yawn, and George grinned.

"Ah, you're cute when you're tired," he told me, tapping my nose. I batted his hand away and closed my eyes sleepily. George started humming softly, a song I couldn't quite place, and I drifted off to sleep with it playing around the back of my mind.

~x~

I was woken up rather suddenly by a familiar, angry voice.

"What is _this_?" Fred asked, climbing onto the end of my bed and pulling the hangings shut before silencing them so we could fight in peace and quiet. I sighed, and as I shifted I realised why he was so incensed. George was lying with his arm around my waist, fast asleep. I kicked him awake under the bedclothes, and I accidentally jolted Maverick awake.

He yawned and grumbled something, but then he caught sight of Fred and was on his feet facing Fred, hackles raised and teeth bared, in an instant. Fred looked at him in surprise.

"What's his problem?"

"He knows when I'm upset and pinpoints the source, then gets cross," I said, stroking Maverick to calm him down as George woke up behind me.

"Fred!" he said happily. "Did you find the hole, then? Wasn't that a stroke of genius?"

"Yeah, it was. But would you mind explaining what's going on here?"

I shrugged. "Sure. George blew a hole in the wall at about midnight, then came in here and we had a cosy little chat about some important things before we fell asleep."

"Nothing more?" Fred asked intently, frowning.

George and I rolled our eyes at the same time. "Okay, this has officially gotten out of hand," George said crossly and sat up. "Fred, you stay and talk to Alyss while I go back to bed. If you don't so help me I'll tell mum that it was you that blew the crater in the orchard, not the gnomes."

Fred went slightly pale. "I'll stay," he said quickly, and George smiled, then reached over and kissed me lightly on the cheek.

"Good luck. I'll see you later."

I smiled up at him. "Thanks."

Then he left and Fred and I were left alone. I shifted, feeling uncomfortable for the first time in Fred's presence, and waited for him to speak.

"So, uh … I'm sorry I hurt you that day," he said eventually, and I half-smiled.

"That's okay, I can understand why you did it. I'm sorry you had to find out like that, Fred."

"Well, I'm glad I found out sooner rather than just when everyone else did."

"Mm. So, um … do you think you can ever forgive me?" I asked softly, trying to get his eyes to meet mine. He looked like he was doing some very serious thinking and decision-making, so I left him to get things straight in his head for a little while. Eventually he looked up, and what I saw in his eyes drew me in and pushed me away at the same time.

"Well, the thing is, Alyss, this can really only go two ways. You see, I … I think I love you."

I smiled. "I love you too, Fred, I always have. You know how much you mean to me. You and George both."

"No, that's not – "

Keira suddenly pulled back the curtains and made me jump yet again. I glared at her and she just shrugged.

"Time to get – hey, what are _you _doing here?" she said to Fred, catching sight of him.

"Nothing. I was just trying to talk to Alyss, but it can wait. I'd better go finish packing for the holidays."

He disappeared under my bed, and Keira dropped down to watch him go in astonishment.

"Well, it was only a matter of time before they found a way in," she said with a grin, and then wandered off to get Zoe and Isobel up.

I got into some jeans, having to fight for a moment to get them done up, and then slid into a white cotton vest top and put a denim waistcoat over the top, and paused for a moment in front of the mirror to check my appearance. It wasn't too bad, considering the craziness that was my life right now. I mean, for once my hair wasn't acting wild, and my face didn't look like I hadn't slept in months.

I cleaned my teeth quickly and then together with Zoe, Isobel and Keira we dragged our trunks downstairs and out into the Great Hall, where they would be transported to the train.

I carried Bucket's cage with me, and he quacked happily the whole way down to the platform, with Maverick gazing at him in total astonishment.

The four of us found an empty compartment quickly, and spread out in it to await the boys' arrival. Sure enough they arrived soon after us, and everyone squeezed in. I couldn't see Daniel anywhere, so I suspected that he was with Angelina and Alicia somewhere.

I was still very sleepy, so as conversations rose up and games started I leant against the window and went back to sleep quite fast.

I had quite a strange dream. It was very vivid, and somehow familiar. I was holding the beautiful baby from Defence in my arms, but her eyes, instead of being red, were a stunning grey with little amber flecks in them. I was sitting cradling her on a bench at the top of a beach, and down in the surf a red-maned lion and a badger were tearing away at each other.

All this was becoming more familiar, and so I got up and started to run towards the two animals, intending to separate them, but I moved with the usual slow dream-drag. As I struggled to move faster I jolted the baby in my arms and she started to cry loudly. I paused to comfort her, and when I looked back up the lion had disappeared and a hissing, swaying snake was hovering over the badger's dead body. As I watched, a different lion, with a jet-black scruffy mane, approached the snake and delivered eight blows to its head, killing it outright.

I turned away in horror, in time to see a huge silver wolf bounding towards me. The baby in my arms starting crying again, and struggling to get away from the wolf, pressing herself into me. I didn't understand – wolves were good, not scary. But then the wolf reached us and snatched the baby out of my arms, dragging her away from me and into darkness.

That's when I started screaming.

"Wake up! Alyss, wake up! Can you hear me? Wake up, you're just having a nightmare."

I couldn't stop – the pretty baby, she was being taken away from me. I tried to run after the wolf, but he was faster than me. The baby's cries echoed back to me.

"Mama!"

I screamed again, and then received a face-full of water. I coughed and spluttered and opened my eyes, totally disorientated. Fred was leaning over me, holding my shoulders, looking terrified. Everyone else was gathered around behind him, and Maverick was stuck at the back, trying to push his way through.

I gazed at Fred without seeing for a moment, and then I reached up to him. He pulled me into a hug, and I sobbed into his shoulder.

"He took my baby, Fred, he took her away."

He stroked my hair gently and let me soak his shirt. "Who took her away, Alyss?"

"The wolf. I was trying to stop the lion and the badger and the snake from fighting but then the badger was dead and then the lion disappeared and a different one killed the snake and then the wolf came and took my baby away."

"It was just a dream, don't worry," Fred said soothingly, waving Keira and George away as they came towards us. I heard Keira mutter something, and the conversation started up again, haltingly. Fred moved up onto the seat beside me and cradled me gently in his arms. My face was buried in the crook of his neck, and my tears were running down inside the neck of his shirt and over his chest.

I reached a hand up to the other side of his neck and hugged him fiercely.

"I'm so sorry, Fred," I whispered, and he stroked my back gently.

"That's okay, baby girl. I'm going to forgive you. Now, I just need you to calm down, okay? You're going to hurt yourself if you don't. Just take deep breaths, with me."

He breathed deeply and I copied him, taking strength from his closeness. He started playing with the ends of my hair as I regained control of myself.

"Better?" he asked, drawing away and studying my tear-stained face. I nodded and attempted a smile.

"Thank you. For everything."

He grinned back at me, the old Fred back, and I hugged him again.

"So, who else knows?" he asked quietly, glancing around quickly.

"Keira, you, Isobel, Zoe and George. Oh, and Uncle Sirius."

"Is it a deadly secret?" he asked with a grin, and I nodded ferociously.

"Absolutely. _No-one _must know, do you understand?"

"Of course," he replied, and suddenly Maverick managed to break through everyone else in the compartment and get to me. He wrapped his paws around my waist and pulled to me the floor so suddenly I didn't have time to react, and fell giggling as Maverick sniffed me up and down to make sure I was unhurt, then licked my cheek.

"Gross," I said and hugged him around the neck, burying my fingers in his thick fur. He purred a little, and then got up, satisfied I was okay, and I was able to get back up onto the seat.

Fred and most other people were laughing at me.

"What?" I said confusedly, and Fred laughed harder.

"He is _so _protective of you it's not even true," he said, and I grinned.

"Yes he is, aren't you, boy?" I crooned to Maverick, and he responded by reaching up and trying to lick my face. "You good boy," I said with a chuckle, and ruffled his head.

"Crazy stuff," George said, and then the lady with the trolley came round and everyone was immediately distracted. I pulled out some money and handed it to Fred.

"Get me something? I have a sudden craving for sugar. Actually, get as much as you can," I said, and pushed him forwards towards the trolley. Keira hurried over and took his place.

"Did you get hurt when Mav knocked you down?"

I shrugged. "I don't think so. I feel fine."

"You might want to get him to stop doing that, the baby might get hurt."

"Let's not call her the baby in case someone hears, okay. Let's give her a name."

"Her?"

"I'm pretty sure she's a girl. I mean, it was a girl in Defence and in my dream, so I'm guessing it's a she."

"What are you going to call her, then?"

"I dunno. Maybe …"

"I like the name Scarlett. It's bold and beautiful."

"Scarlett. Yeah, that's pretty. What do you think, Fred?" I asked when he came back over to join us, dumping all the sweets and chocolate on the floor.

"What do I think of what?"

"Of the name Scarlett."

"Scarlett? I like it. It's very dramatic."

"Scarlett it is," I said decisively, grinning.

Ben and Lee suddenly got up, breaking off their conversation with Zoe and Isobel. "Uh, we said we'd go find Amelia and – "

"Say no more, say no more," George said, grinning. "Go make out with your smart-ass Ravenclaw girlfriends, we won't miss you."

Ben gave him the finger as they left, but they were both laughing.

"So, what are we discussing over here?" Zoe asked, taking one of my chocolate frogs.

"Help yourself," I said, grinning.

"Will do, thanks," she replied and glanced up at the three of us.

"So, what _were _you discussing?"

"Baby names," Keira replied happily, and Zoe squealed.

"Oo, what did you pick so far?"

"Scarlett."

Zoe looked slightly disappointed. "Oh, I wanted to help pick. Do you have middle names yet?"

Keira shook her head and was about to speak when I interrupted.

"Yeah, I think so. I always loved the name Raine, so she'll be Scarlett Raine."

"That's nice, if you're sure it's a girl" George said with a smile, and there was brief silence before Fred accidentally trod on Maverick's tail and all hell broke loose.

~x~

By the time we arrived at the station I was the only one not covered in scratches, apart from Maverick of course. In fact, he was looking as amused as a tiger can as he watched Fred, Keira, Zoe and Isobel flinch every time he moved. George had escaped most of it by hiding behind me.

We all piled off the train and I followed Fred and George over to Mrs Weasley after saying goodbye to everyone, and she immediately seized me into a hug.

"Well, you're looking healthier than usual, my dear. You don't look as ill as you usually do when you come to stay. In fact, you're almost glowing with health!"

I smiled cynically but then Mrs Weasley moved on to greet Fred and George, and then Percy and Ginny appeared beside us. Ron had decided to stay at school with Harry, which Fred and George were annoyed about because it meant they would have uneven teams for when they wanted to play quidditch.

We made our way over to the row of fireplaces to one side of Platform 9¾ and waited in line to get back. Ginny went first with Percy following her, and then Fred, then George, and then it was my turn.

Bucket eyed the flames as we got in from his cage where I had left him with Mrs Weasley, and I clutched Maverick and my trunk closely to me as I stepped into the fire.

"The Burrow!" I shouted. I had to concentrate extra-hard to avoid braining Maverick on the wall, and I was very dizzy when I eventually stopped spinning. I fell out of the fireplace and Fred caught me neatly as George grabbed my trunk. Maverick landed on all four paws and shook his head violently, then went and sat in a corner to clean himself, very obviously sulking.

I smiled at him, and then stood away so Mrs Weasley could step out of the fireplace. She started setting everything to order straight away.

"Right, Fred and George, take Alyss upstairs – she's staying in Ron's room. Ginny, go get Charlie so he can help with the cases. Perce – "

"There's no need, mother, I'm capable of organising myself," Percy said pompously and marched off without another word, levitating his trunk in front of him. Ginny disappeared off upstairs as well, and then Mrs Weasley noticed Maverick.

She screamed and pressed a hand to her heart. "What is _that_?!" she asked breathlessly as Maverick turned around, clean now, and padded over to me. I bent down and stroked his ears.

"This is Maverick, Mrs Weasley. He's my tiger."

"Where on earth did you get a tiger from?"

"He was a Christmas/birthday present from my uncle. He's very well-behaved, I promise."

"Well, so long as he doesn't eat the chickens I think we can live with him. Now, Fred, - oh, excellent, Charlie's down."

"Charlie!" I cried excitedly and flung myself at him. He caught me under the arms and spun me round a couple of times, then hugged me tight.

"Jeez, kid, you've grown."

I twirled with a grin. "I know! How are the dragons doing?"

"Very well. There was one injured recently but it tried to eat its handler three days ago so we know it's better. What about you? No, here, I'll take that," he said, grabbing my trunk and leading me off up the stairs.

"So? What's going on with you at school?"

I shrugged. "Not much, really." _You know, apart from the fact that I'm pregnant._

"Not much? I hardly believe that. Haven't you and Fred and George been causing your usual chaos?"

"Not really. I've been fighting with Fred recently, actually, but we made up."

"What were you fighting over?"

"Oh, nothing. Jeesh, don't these stairs _ever _end?" I asked to distract him, and he grinned.

"At some point."

We climbed a little bit further, and then reached Ron's door.

"Right, you're in here. I'm sorry about the orange over everything, Ron's an odd kid. Mum made the bed up freshly this morning for you, and you can keep the windows open. The ghoul upstairs wails and moans a lot, but generally if you shoot a hex through the ceiling he shuts up."

"Thanks, Charlie," I said, setting Bucket's cage down on the desk by the window and opening it. He fluttered out and into my arms. I smiled and moved him onto my shoulder. He settled down, his feet clenching hard – somehow – onto me, and then I followed Charlie back down the stairs. Bucket leapt into flight as soon as we reached the kitchen and zoomed out of the window.

Maverick had been hovering around the stove where Mrs Weasley was cooking hopefully, and I apologised as I dragged him away.

"Mav, you need a collar," I told him after having to shove his butt out of the way. "How am I supposed to move you places if there's nothing to hold on to?"

Charlie laughed. "So, do you want to explain where you got a tiger from?"

"From my uncle. He was a birthday/Christmas present. Maverick, say hello to Charlie."

Maverick glanced Charlie up and down, then when I tapped the back of his stripy head he grumbled but went to rub his head against Charlie's hip, then retreated and plonked himself down on the floor.

"Good boy," I said, stroking his head. Charlie laughed and crouched down in front of him. Maverick glanced back and then looked away boredly, and Charlie stroked his head softly.

"He's adorable!" Charlie proclaimed, and then Fred and George rushed back into the kitchen, almost sending me flying, but Charlie grabbed me and steadied me.

"You guys could at least give some warning," I complained once I had regained some balance.

"Sorry. Hey, Charlie, do you want to play quidditch? Ginny said she would if you would."

They both turned identical, pleading expressions on Charlie and he grinned. "Sure, I'm not doing anything else."

"D'you reckon we can get Percy to play?" George asked thoughtfully, and Fred and Charlie burst out laughing.

"Yeah, Perce play quidditch. That's gonna happen." Charlie said sarcastically. George turned to me suddenly.

"Alyss, I'll give you five galleons if you can persuade Percy to play. Without bribing him."

I shrugged. "Okay," I said, and headed off up the stairs. As I left I heard the boys exchanging bets on whether I would be able to persuade Percy. I stopped outside his door and knocked.

"Who is it?" Percy's voice demanded irritably.

"It's me, Alyss," I said, and the door opened.

"Can I help you?" Percy asked, marginally more polite now he knew it wasn't one of his brothers.

"Well, the thing is, Fred and George and Charlie want to play quidditch, but they want me to play. Only I don't feel very well, and they're really pestering me, and I was wondering if you could just come play for ten minutes or so to get them off my back?"

He looked undecided. "Well, I don't know, I was going to unpack."

I wiped a hand across my forehead and sighed. "That's okay, don't worry, I guess I can play." I turned and was about two steps down when Percy suddenly came out of his room.

"Well, I guess I can play for ten minutes," he said quickly. I beamed and hugged him spontaneously. He stiffened and I laughed inwardly. Poor Percy. I let him go and bounded off down the stairs. Fred, George and Charlie glanced up as I reappeared. I just gave them a knowing smile, and then Percy appeared in the door behind me, and pushing his glasses up his nose said, "Right, let's get this over and done with."

All three of their jaws dropped, and then Fred turned to George and Charlie and held out his hand. "Cough up," he said happily, and then reluctantly handed over the contents of their pockets.

They were all just selecting brooms to play on when Ginny came pelting out of the house. "Wait, wait!" she called, grabbing a broom and running to catch us up.

"Hey," I said once she was level me and slowing to a walk.

"Hey," she replied, and then, with an incredulous glance at Percy, asked, "Is he _really _going to play?"

I grinned. "Sure. I used my womanly wiles on him and he agreed to play for like ten minutes."

"Whoa."

Soon enough we reached the orchard where they played, hidden by spells, and I took the ball that served as a quaffle from Fred and stood in the middle of the field. It was Fred and George versus Ginny, Charlie and Percy. They had tried to persuade me to no avail. I _knew _I would fall off and I didn't want to hurt my baby.

"Go!" I yelled, chucking the ball up in the air as high as I could, then retreated to the shade in the corner of the field where Maverick was lying, panting, and lay down with my eyes shut. I ended up falling asleep, but I was shaken awake only about an hour later by George.

"Jeesh, sleep much?" he asked with a grin. "We're going swimming in the river. It's hella cold but it's fun. C'mon!"

He pulled me to my feet and I followed him down to the river where Ginny and Fred were already splashing about with Charlie in their t-shirts and underwear.

"Uh, George, I don't have any swimwear on."

"Just go in in your t-shirt and underwear like we have."

"This t-shirt was kinda expensive."

"Then just go in in your bra and pants. It doesn't bother us, we've seen you like that before."

I shrugged. "Okay then."

We both divested ourselves of our clothes quickly and George took a running leap into the water, splashing everyone. I jogged down to the edge and dipped a toe in.

"Crap! It's _cold_!" I complained, and George sighed.

"I already told you it was," he replied. I put my toe back in, and then noticed Fred was swimming towards me, almost at the bank.

"No. You are _not _throwing me in," I told him firmly, and he just pulled himself out of the water and made a grab for me. I dodged him quickly and sprinted away. He chased me, and we were both laughing, breathless. We reached the corner of the quidditch field, golden in the early evening sun, and Fred caught me around the waist and held me to him closely.

"Gotcha," he said with a grin, pleased with himself. I struggled, but it was no use. He dragged me down to the water, and I fought to get away from him, giggling, trying to ignore how great his bare skin felt against mine. I mean, it was _Fred_, for Heaven's sake. Eventually he got me right up to the water's edge and swept me fully up into his arms. I looked him right in the eyes.

"You, Fred Weasley, are a total bastard," I said, and then he jumped. I surfaced next to him, coughing and spluttering with the cold, and swam up and down to get warm while Ginny, George and Charlie all roared with laughter.

"It wasn't _that _funny," I protested, and Ginny wiped her eyes.

"No, it was. You should have seen the look on your face when Fred jumped."

I crossed my arms and kicked hard to keep my head above the water.

Fred was floating idly on the top of the water. "Swimming is good for you," he said to me. I scowled, and pushed his stomach so he went under. He retaliated quickly, and soon we were all battling in earnest.

Eventually though I got tired and lay back to float on the surface of the water. George got out and picked up his clothes from the bank.

"Well, I'm gonna go shower, 'kay?"

I flipped upright quickly. "Can you take Maverick with you? He hates the water," I said. Maverick had indeed been lying on the bank the whole time we were in the water, and growling every time someone splashed him by mistake.

"Sure," George said. "C'mon, Maverick, let's go. Mum's probably got some spare food that you can have."

Maverick turned to look at me, and I waved for him to go. "Go with George, Mav. He'll get you some dinner."

Maverick glanced at me one last time and then turned and padded after George. Ginny and Charlie followed soon afterwards.

"Aw, are you guys getting out so soon?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm cold, and Ginny promised to help Mum with making up all the beds."

"I didn't promise, I was blackmailed," Ginny protested, and Fred and I could hear them arguing the whole way across the quidditch field. I lay back to float and stare up at the sky again.

~x~

**Hope you all liked this instalment!**

**So, do we want some Fred/Alyss love in the next chapter, or is it too early/complicated for that?**


	25. Responsibility

"**In the end two hearts will meet  
And maybe they'll find whatever they seek" –Miami Sound Machine, Hot Summer Nights  
**

~x~

"So…" Fred said. I raised my head to see him standing up on a shallower part of the river, his shoulders out of the water.

"So," I replied with a smile. He grinned lazily back and stepped out into deeper water, going under. The water was clear so I could see him swimming towards me, and I saw him reach out to grab my leg. I let him catch it for once, and was pulled under. I blinked and opened my eyes. The world around me was distorted and a greeny-brown kind of colour.

I could see the rays of sunlight filtering through the clear water, and flipped upside down to stare up at the surface, where a thin silver skin seemed to lie over the top. I blew silver bubbles out of my mouth, and they danced up and exploded against the surface.

I felt Fred grab me around the middle and haul me up to the surface. We broke through the silver layer, and I took in a deep breath.

"I swear you are actually high on something. You're constantly spacing out," Fred said, pushing his hair out of his face with a smile. I shrugged.

"Probably. Can you get high on fresh air? Because I think I totally am."

He laughed. "You're just crazy."

"Well, we both know _that_," I replied with a laugh, and he put his arms around me, pulling me into a shallower part of the river so we could stand with our torsos out of the water.

"Look, I never got to finish what I wanted to say this morning. The thing is that I – "

He was suddenly interrupted by Charlie's yells. "Fred! Alyss! Dinner time!"

Fred exhaled crossly and stormed out of the river, grabbing up his clothes and disappearing off into the quidditch field. I was left standing there, shaking slightly, pretty sure of what he had been about to say, and totally undecided.

I mean, I _loved _Fred. I always had. It was easy to forget when we were fighting, but as soon as I was around him and close to him I just felt so right. Had it been any other time, I would have run after him and stopped him and told him, simple as that.

But now I was pregnant, and nothing could ever be simple again.

My whole life and the way I lived it was going to change very soon, and I wasn't sure how I was going to cope. I started shivering so I got out and pulled my clothes on over my wet underwear, wincing as my jeans pulled over my wet skin.

Then I started struggling to do them up. I got more and more cross, and eventually gave up, sinking down onto the floor and curling up into a ball, my face hidden against my knees.

It didn't take them very long to realise I hadn't come back to the house, and George came to find me down by the side of the river. Without a single world he sat down next to me, pulled me onto his lap and hugged me tight. I buried my face against his chest, forcing myself not to cry – because I'd been doing far too much of that lately – and put my arms around his neck to hug him back.

"Was it Fred this time?" he asked eventually, and I shook my head.

"No, this time it's me. It's all me. Well, me and this stupid baby." I raised my face to look at him, my lip trembling ever so slightly. "I've ruined my whole life. I'm five months away from being a teenage mother, and I don't want to be."

It felt good to get everything off my chest.

"What's the worst part?" George asked. I could understand his morbid curiosity – as a guy, he would never even have the possibility of something like this happening to him. I thought about it.

"The worst thing?"

"Yeah."

"Being fat."

He gazed at me for a long moment, and then burst out laughing.

"What? _What_?" I demanded, thumping his shoulder.

"It's just that only _you _would find getting fat the most bothersome thing about being pregnant."

"I'm serious! I can't even get my jeans done up any more."

He patted my tummy lightly. "That's okay, I've got some sweats you can borrow if you like. I know you don't have any of them. Or, if you do, you've never worn them."

"No, I don't have any. I don't know why, though."

"Mm."

We stayed like that for another few minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet, and then I got to my feet.

"C'mon, your mum'll go sick with worry if we don't get back," I said, and extended a hand to pull him to his feet. I had another quick struggle with the button on my jeans, then gave up and pulled my top down to cover it up, then turned to George.

"How do I look?"

"Fabulous," he replied with a grin, pulling a strand of pondweed out of my still-wet hair.

"I mean, do I look pregnant?"

He sized me up. "No. You're just looking more radiant than usual, which is a side-effect, I hear."

I shoved my shoulder into his good-naturedly as we ambled back up to the house. The table was laid up inside the house, and I slipped into my seat quickly. My plate was already full, so I dug in, starvingly hungry.

"Hungry?" Charlie asked in amusement from next to me. I shrugged.

"A little."

Then I concentrated on eating, ignoring most of the conversations going on around me until I caught my name and glanced up to see Fred and George leaning back in their chairs, their heads together, whispering furiously and glancing at me occasionally.

I put my fork down and glared at them until they caught sight of my face. Fred mouthed 'later' at me, and I nodded and went back to eating. I cleared my plate fast and waited impatiently for pudding as the rest of the family finished up. I watched them all for a little while, and smothered a giggle as I saw that Percy had grass stains all up one side of his body.

I nudged Charlie. "Did Percy fall off while you were playing quidditch at all?"

Charlie chuckled. "Yeah, he ploughed right into the ground."

"Ah, I thought so," I said, grinning. Eventually the meal was finished and plates cleared away, and then Mrs Weasley brought the pudding out. I caught a whiff of something absolutely delicious, and gazed in pure delight as Mrs Weasley placed a huge meringue filled with some sort of cream in the middle of the table.

"Alyss, would you like some of this?"

"What is it, Mrs Weasley? It smells _amazing._"

She laughed. "It's meringue with Passion Fruit cream."

I licked my lips. "I'll have as much as I can, please."

She passed my full bowl down, and I dived in without another thought. It was to _die _for. I finished really fast, licking my spoon for the last traces of that Passion Fruit cream and gazed hungrily at the leftovers, but Mrs Weasley cleared it away into the fridge and I watched it go wistfully.

After dinner we all sat round and played some cards – I suck at most card games – and then we all headed off to bed. I climbed all the way up to the top of the house, having to stop halfway up for a short rest, and then made it into the horrifically orange bedroom and quickly found my pyjamas – a pair of cotton shorts and a very baggy t-shirt.

I climbed into bed, grateful for the thick duvet, and lay staring up at the ceiling.

It was no good – after about an hour of tossing and turning, I got out of bed and crept across the room, leaving Maverick fast asleep on the bed. I stuck my head out of my door and then, stepping very carefully to avoid the creaks, snuck down into the kitchen. I headed straight across the kitchen and into the fridge, where I dug out the large bowl of leftover passion fruit cream.

With a happy sigh I found a spoon and dug in. I had been seriously craving this stuff. I ate a _lot _of it, without realising, and then – finally feeling full – I caught sight of Mrs Weasley's wand on the counter and used it to perform a quick-refilling spell before replacing the now-full bowl in the fridge.

It was _seriously _good, that stuff. I made my way back over to the stairs, and had just switched off the lights when I heard someone coming down the stairs. They moved very quietly, with the ease of long practice at sneaking around places.

"Alyss?" I heard Fred's voice call softly, and I switched the light back on and grinned. He crept down the rest of the stairs and held my shoulder to examine me.

"Are you okay? Are you not feeling well?"

"No," I said, with a shrug. "I just really wanted more of that dessert your mum made. Don't worry, I refilled it."

He smiled at me and then we both froze as we heard something creak upstairs.

"C'mon, let's go outside," he said, and took my hand. I let him lead me out, barefoot, to the quidditch field we had been playing in earlier. The grass was wild and very high, a greyish colour in the darkness.

It came up to my thighs, and I let my fingers trail through it happily. We reached the centre of the field and Fred and I stamped a circle flat quickly and then sat down in the middle of it. We sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, and then I lay back with a sigh. Fred lay down next to me, and slipped his arm under my head so I could use it as a pillow.

"What are you thinking?" he asked after another few moments of silence.

"I was looking at the stars," I said, still watching. "There's something very calming about them. When I watch the stars, all my problems fade away for a while."

"Mm," he said, whether in agreement or comprehension I wasn't sure. "So, what shall we do tomorrow?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not swimming any more. I saw Ginny looking at me funny, and I don't want to give anyone cause for suspicion any more than I have to."

"You do realise that you're going to have to tell everyone soon?"

I smiled. "Yes, I'm not an idiot. I'm already starting to show."

"You are?" Fred asked in surprise.

"You know, for someone who considers themselves quite perceptive, you're actually very dense. Yes, I am. Look," I said, and pulled my t-shirt up so it was hitched up around my ribs. Fred's eyes darted down to my belly, and I ran my hand over the bump absently.

"It's weird to think that there's a whole miniature person in there," Fred said with a half-smile. I smiled back.

"I know. It's both bizarre and terrifying."

"You're scared?" Fred asked, tracing my cheek softly with a gentle finger. I sighed and nodded. "What are you scared of?" he queried, watching my face. I turned to look at him full-on.

"I'm scared of telling my dad. I'm scared of telling _anyone_. I'm scared it's gonna hurt. I'm scared about what my life will be like after she arrives. But, most of all, I'm scared that I won't be a good mother."

He was silent for a few minutes, and turned to gaze back up at the clear night sky. He turned back to me eventually.

"You want to know what I think?" he inquired. I shrugged.

"I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway," I replied with a smile.

"Yeah. Well, I think you're going to be the best mother there ever was, I honestly do. I mean, I know you're kind of absent-minded and attract a lot of trouble, but you're so fierce and loyal I'm sure you'll be able to protect that baby from whatever might come."

I felt tears rising and tried to blink them back. "Fred, I think that's just about the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."

He smiled sadly and turned to look back up at the sky. I put my hand on his arm. "Tell me, please Fred, what annoyed you most about me getting pregnant. I know it's mainly because it's Cedric, but I know George doesn't like him much either and he didn't react as badly as you."

"Well … I guess I always thought …"

"Yes?" I asked, moving my hand down to interlace my fingers with his. He finally turned and looked me right in the eyes.

"I guess I always thought you'd belong to me some day."

A thrill ran through my whole body. His face was tense, wary, ready for rejection. I sighed and reached up to caress his cheek.

"Fred, this is beyond complicated. I mean, I feel the same way about you, I honestly do. But I'm pregnant with another guy's baby, so this isn't going to work out."

He grabbed both of my hands in his, pulling me into a sitting position. "Alyss, I promise that it doesn't bother me that your baby is someone else's. I'll still be the best dad a kid could ever have, I swear. I'll look after you both, I'll promise to love you both forever. Alyss, for you, I'd do anything."

I could see his eyes sparkling with tears, and I felt ones in my own. Very gently, I reached over and pressed my lips to his. He clutched me to him, like he was afraid I would disappear if he let me go. Our breathing grew ragged, our lips moving against each other.

I eventually parted from him with a soft sigh, and I looked into his blue eyes, darkened by desire and joy.

"Fred, I need to know now if you're honestly going to be okay with …" I gestured down at my stomach, "…with this."

He pulled me against himself, his hand covering mine where it rested on my belly. "I'm going to be okay with it, Alyss, I promise. As unlikely as it seems, I can be mature in situations that require maturity."

I snorted, breaking the dreamlike mood that had settled over the whole field. He. grinned. "That's fine, I guess I'll just have to prove it. And you know how I'm going to start proving it?"

I bit back on my giggles. "No. Surprise me."

"Okay. I want you to tell Dig- Cedric."

My jaw dropped, and my voice was low and incredulous when I finally spoke. "Are you _serious_?

"Deadly so. He's the baby's father, and as much as I hate him he has the right to make a choice about whether he gets involved in all of this. No, hear me out," he said when I tried to interrupt. "I know you don't want to make him feel responsible, but he should get to choose. Just tell him that he doesn't have to get involved and shouldn't feel any responsibility for either of you, because that's my job now."

I put my hand on his cheek, tracing his jaw delicately. "You promise? Because I don't think I can take much heartbreak, Fred. It's not in my nature."

He reached up to take my hand, and kissed it softly. "I promise. I wish there was some way I could certify my promise."

I shrugged. "No, I believe you."

I lay back down, gazing up at the stars. I heard him lay down next to me, and turned to rest my head on his chest, feeling his strong heartbeat under my ear, and shut my eyes.

"I love you too, Fred," I said quietly, and I didn't hear his response before I fell asleep.

~x~

I woke early the next morning, just as the sun rose up into a pale pink sky. Fred was still fast asleep next to me, one arm curled protectively around my waist. I sat up carefully, making sure not to disturb him, and gazed around sleepily, blinking to clear my head.

I ran an absent hand through my hair as I stared. It wasn't too bad, considering I had slept in a field for half the night. I pulled some loose grass out of it, and then left it to fall down my back in messy curls.

I reached out and plucked a dandelion from the ground and blew it gently. I counted the number of breaths it took to blow all the little fluffy white seeds away.

Six puffs. Which, in theory, meant it was about six o'clock in the morning. I glanced at the sun, just rising, and because of the time of year I knew it had to be more like seven or eight. I stretched like a cat, and then the sound of a familiar grumbling reached my ears.

Soon after Maverick pushed his way through the stalks of wild grass, sneezed, and came to rub his head against my arm. I smiled and hugged him around the neck. He responded to the hug in his usual way – by licking my cheek. It was my turn to grumble, but he was purring so instead of pushing him away I lay back down alongside Fred and shut my eyes.

I felt Maverick settle himself against my side, and feeling totally protected I fell back asleep again.

The next time I woke up the sun was much higher in the sky and there was a distant voice calling to me and Fred. Next to me Maverick sat up and cocked his head in the direction of the calls. I shook Fred quickly.

"C'mon, George is calling us," I said and got to my feet, then extended an arm down to pull Fred up. He groaned and wiped his eyes.

"What time is it?" he asked sleepily. I grinned.

"I don't know. But late enough that you shouldn't still be sleepy."

It was his turn to grin, and he wrapped an arm around my waist. "I guess our night was just interrupted."

I smiled up at him. "Yep. But it was worth missing out on sleep for everything."

"Definitely."

We walked back to the house and parted slightly, leaving a slight gap between our bodies, before going inside. Maverick, following behind us, headed straight over to the stove where what smelled like bacon was cooking. I grinned at him as he plonked himself down to wait in case Mrs Weasley accidentally dropped something edible (like _that _was gonna happen).

I took a seat next to Fred at the table and gradually the other members of the family filtered in. George took the seat on the other side of me and I turned to him.

"What's up?"

"Where have you been? I looked everywhere for you. I was worried you got hurt."

I grinned. "I'm a big girl now, George, I can look after myself."

He scowled. "Yeah, but I was worried you hurt your baby at the same time."

There was a loud crash behind us as Charlie dropped the plate he was carrying. He was staring at me disbelievingly and his eyes travelled down to my stomach before flicking back up to my face. Then he turned without a word and stormed off up the stairs.

"Bugger," I said into the silence that followed his departure and got up and shot up the stairs after him.

I reached his door just as he went inside, and he grabbed my arm and dragged me inside.

"_What is going on_?" he hissed, pulling me to sit down on his bed. I stared down at the floor, feeling like an errant child.

"I … I'm pregnant," I said quietly. He swore loudly and kicked a chair.

"Alyss, you know I see you like a little sister, right?"

I nodded and waited.

"Well, right now I think you've been very stupid and irresponsible, and I need to go beat up the fucker that did this to you."

"I can't tell you, Charlie. I don't know if he wants any responsibility for this."

"You mean you haven't told him yet?" his voice was incredulous. "Alyss, I thought you had more sense than that."

"Well it's not like I could just walk up to him and yell 'hey, Cedric, by the way, I'm going to have a baby. And it's yours.'"

His face twitched slightly. "It's Cedric's?"

I smacked my face into my hands. "Damn."

"Right, you come with me." He got up and took my hand, pulling me down the stairs and out into the kitchen.

"Charlie, what's going on?" Mrs Weasley asked as he stormed across the room, pulling me behind him. He grabbed a handful of the floo powder from the mantelpiece and handed it to me.

"Go. I'll be right behind you."

With a beseeching glance directed at Fred, I threw the powder into the flames and stepped in, shouting Cedric's address. I shut my eyes against the spinning and eventually fell outwards into Cedric's front room. His father was sitting on the sofa sipping at a cup of coffee, reading the paper, and looked rather surprised to be interrupted.

"Um … I'm very sorry to disturb you, sir, but could I possibly speak to Cedric?"

He folded up his paper and stood up, eyeing my bare feet and pyjamas. "Yes. I assume you are a friend from school?"

I nodded.

"Who shall I say wants him?"

"Alyss, please. Alyss Lupin."

He disappeared out of the door just as Charlie appeared behind me, followed closely by Fred, who shouldered his brother out of the way irritably.

"Are you okay?" he asked quickly, taking my hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Well, scared shitless, but otherwise fine."

Charlie snorted sceptically and I turned around.

"Okay, you, you just need to step back and look at this objectively. Not have you only ruined _my _holiday, you've also ruined Cedric's. Now, I know I was going to have to tell him at some point, but I was planning on waiting until, say, we got back to school in case his parents overheard or something. Now he's got to spend his whole holiday with this hanging over his head, and I don't think he's going to appreciate that much, do you? No. So can I please request that next time you just stop to think before you go on the whole 'overprotective older brother' rampage, because – "

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" came Cedric's amused voice from the doorway, and I shot one last glare at Charlie before turning to Cedric.

"No. But … I need to talk to you, please. In private somewhere."

He shrugged. "Sure. Come on upstairs. Are these two – "

"If they know what's good for them they'll stay right here," I said with a scowl, turning to glare at Fred and Charlie. They sank onto sofas without another word, palms held up to fend me off, just in case.

"Okay then," Cedric said, and led me upstairs. We went into his bedroom and he shut the door behind him. I glanced around quickly, never having been in his bedroom before. It was very nice, with books lying around everywhere.

I sat down on the bed, and he sat next to me and hugged me. I hugged him back, considering how different our friendship would be after I dropped the bombshell.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked me after we parted. I twisted my hands in my t-shirt, wishing I'd been allowed to stop and change out of my pyjamas, at least.

"I … I need to tell you something," I said eventually.

"Go ahead."

"Well … first of all you have to promise not to hate me," I told him, and he looked surprised.

"I wouldn't hate you for anything," he replied.

"Okay. And I want you to know that you don't have to take responsibility for any of this, I can cope on my own if you don't want to be involved."

"Involved with what? Alyss, I don't – "

"I'm having a baby, Cedric. And it's yours."

There was a long, long silence. It was a worried, tense silence on my part and an astonished, incredulous silence on his.

"Are you sure?" he asked eventually, and I snorted.

"Depending on which you mean; yes, I 'm certain I'm pregnant, and yes, I'm certain it's yours because you're the only guy I've been with."

"Oh." He looked terrified, and I stood up.

"That's okay, Cedric. Like I said, I can cope with this by myself. Fred is going to help me."

Then I walked out of the door, leaving him sitting on the bed, and headed downstairs. I wiped tears away angrily, furious with myself. I mean, I supposed I had expected him to accept this and want to help me. I mean, it was just as much his baby as it was mine.

I ran a hand over my bump. "It's okay, baby. I love you, even if he doesn't."

I headed quickly down to the front room and Fred, seeing my expression, crossed the room quickly and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm sorry, baby girl."

I shook my head crossly and wiped the tears away. "I don't know why I didn't expect it. C'mon, let's go back."

Fred nodded and drew me gently across to the fireplace. Charlie went first, taking some powder from the pot on the mantelpiece, and Fred went next. I followed him, and I was just stepping into the fire when Cedric burst into the room behind me.

"No, Alyss, wait. I want to – "

"Bye, Cedric," I said softly, and then the flames took me, spinning me until I fell face-first onto the kitchen floor at the Burrow. I ignored the inquisitive faces that stared at the three of us and headed upstairs. I reached Ron's bedroom quicker than I ever had before and hurried over to the desk, pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill.

_Dad,_ I wrote quickly, blotting a tear where it fell onto the page.

_Can you come and pick me up and take me back to school, please? I need some peace and quiet and it's too hard for me to be here right now. Thanks. I love you,_

_Alyss xx_

I woke Bucket up where he was sleeping in his cage and tied the letter to his leg.

"Take this to my dad, please, Bucket," I said thickly, holding back sobs. He ruffled his feathers and nibbled softly on my fingers in an attempt to cheer me up, and then leapt into flight out of the window. As I turned and started throwing things into my trunk there was a scratching at the door, and I opened it to find Maverick standing there.

He came into the room and put his paw around my legs, knocking me backwards onto the bed, and then leapt up beside me and licked my cheek. I curled up on the bed and hugged him tight, burying my face in his thick fur and letting the tears come.

There was a quiet knocking on the door and I ignored it, gulping down more tears. Eventually the door creaked open and Mrs Weasley came into the room and shut the door behind herself.

She came and sat down on the bed next to me.

"Alyss, honey, I just want you to know that I'm right here for you. It's going to be very hard for you, without a mother to look to, and I consider you as a daughter anyway, so I want you to know that I'm always going to be right here for you, throughout all of this."

I didn't look up. "Fred told you, then?"

"I put two and two together, actually. You're eating lots, you're emotional, you get tired easily and you're getting a baby bump. I've had seven children of my own, I know the signs."

I sighed and finally looked up. "I don't know what to do, Mrs Weasley," I said quietly. She pulled me up into a hug. I just cried into her shoulder. It had been eons since I received a proper, motherly hug and it felt amazing.

"So you're keeping the baby, then?"

I nodded. "Almost everyone who knows thinks I should kill it, but I just _can't_. She's going to be so perfect, and I'm not going to kill her because I'm not sure I can cope. I _will _cope."

"It's a girl?" she asked softly, and I shrugged.

"I don't know, but I think it will be. If it is, I'm going to call her Scarlett. Scarlett Raine."

"That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you. But I'm scared because her dad doesn't want her, and I think that might not be so nice for her to find out when she's older."

"Who is her father?" I could see in her eyes as I looked up that she was slightly apprehensive – worried, perhaps, that one of her sons was responsible for knocking me up.

"Cedric," I said quietly, not really wanting to think about it too much. She nodded understandingly.

"Give him time, honey. He was probably just in shock when you told him. He might come round to the idea."

I sighed. "Thank you, Mrs Weasley. For just listening and everything. Please don't feel offended, but I've asked my dad to come take me home. He went home this holiday with 'Nessa and Lukey, because I was coming to stay here and Vanessa was shy, so I'm going to go and spend some time with them."

She nodded. "I understand. Does your dad know yet?"

I shook my head. "I'm scared of what he'll do."

"Well, take my advice and tell him sooner rather than later, okay?"

I frowned unhappily but nodded my agreement anyway.

"Is your dad going to come here soon?"

"I don't know. I just sent the letter off with Bucket so it'll be a day or two before he gets it."

"Okay. Well, why don't you come downstairs and get something to eat? The house is otherwise empty – all the kids have gone off to play quidditch, and Percy's gone to stay with his girlfriend for a week."

"Okay," I said and got up to follow her downstairs. Maverick followed me down, sticking to me like glue. I rubbed his ears and wondered idly as I sat down at the table in the kitchen how long it would take him to achieve full growth – his shoulder was level with my thigh and still growing.

Mrs Weasley put a big bowl of fruit and yoghurt down in front of me and let me eat quietly while she bustled around clearing the breakfast things away. I cleared my bowl quickly and put it on the side next to the sink, then thanked Mrs Weasley and headed upstairs to change out of my pyjamas.

I went into Fred and George's room and dug around in George's drawers until I found an old pair of sweats of his that I borrowed, and then went back up to Ron's room to change. I rolled up the bottom of the sweats and then found a baggy t-shirt to wear with them. Then I slipped my feet into some shoes and headed back downstairs with Maverick still staying right at my feet.

"I'm going to go for a walk," I told Mrs Weasley as I crossed the kitchen.

"Um … actually, there's someone here who needs to talk to you."

"Did my dad arrive already?"

"Not exactly," I new voice said, and I turned around to see Cedric standing to one side of the kitchen looking awkward. I stared at him in disbelief for a long moment and then stalked out of the kitchen and into the back garden.

"Wait, Alyss, wait," he called, and chased me out of the house. I increased my pace until I was running away from him, Maverick easily keeping pace beside me.

"You're useless," I panted to him as I ran. "Why can't you just go and eat him or something?" He just made funny little 'hnk' noises at me, and I could hear Cedric catching up to me.

"Please, Alyss, stop. Overexertion could be bad for you."

I skidded to a halt and whirled around to face him. "Yeah, because you care _so much_," I retorted, and he finally caught up with me. I turned and kept walking. He fell into step beside me.

"I do care. That's just as much my baby as it is yours."

I was astonished. "What?"

"Like I said, it's my responsibility just as much as yours, and I want to help you look after him or her."

"What are you saying?" I asked, confused.

"I'm saying I want to be a father. I want to help you with our baby."

~x~

**Decision time :)**

**And you guys got your Fred/Alyss love, I hope I did it okay and that no-one hates me for it. Oh, and sorry for the overlong chapter. I couldn't find a good place to stop.**

**But now, just when things were looking up, we have yet more complications. With more to come! **

**Reviews make me happy :D**


	26. Pain

**And once again I dazzle myself with the speed of my update :)**

"**My heart is working overtime  
In this kind of game  
Someone gets hurt  
I'm afraid that someone is me." – Kenny Loggins, Playing With The Boys**

~x~

I gazed at him in total disbelief. "What?"

"I said I want to be a part of this."

I took a step closer to him, caught off guard by his decision. "Are you sure? It's kind of a big deal. I don't want you to promise to stay through all this and then get cold feet and run off at the last minute."

His gaze was unwavering. "I promise."

"And I don't want you to offer to marry me like a good gentleman or anything. I'm quite happy with Fred, thank you very much."

His face suddenly contorted. "You're with Weasley now?"

I heard footsteps and turned just as Fred reached me and slung an arm around my waist.

"That's Mr Weasley to you, Diggory. And you should be thanking me, it was me who persuaded her to tell you."

I pushed him away. "I am _not _about to let me and my baby get in the middle of one of your testosterone-fuelled punch-ups," I said firmly, and took off towards the house. "I'm going back to bed," I called over my shoulder. "Come get me when you're done killing each other."

I dashed through the kitchen, ignoring Mrs Weasley's questions, and headed straight upstairs. To prove my point I got back into my pyjamas and was just lifting the covers to get into bed when Cedric and Fred burst into the room together.

"Look, Alyss, I think we should – "

"Just ignore anything he says, I've – "

"I mean, it's my baby in there, too, and – "

"Why should he have anything to do with this? I've got everything sorted and – "

"I know I've got rights, and I want that baby just as much – "

"He's nothing, Alyss! It's you and me, remember? I was – "

"_SHUT UP_!" I screamed furiously, and I heard footsteps on the stairs downstairs. "I want you _both _involved, but I'll have nothing to do with either of you if you keep this up!"

"But I – "

"But he – "

I didn't see where it came from, but suddenly fists were flying. I stormed into the middle of the fight to try to stop them from killing each other and a fist sailed through the air and landed hard on my stomach.

A stabbing pain was proof to the fact that Baby did _not _like being punched. I doubled over, retching, just as Charlie burst into the room, followed by George and Ginny.

"What happened?!" Charlie demanded as George hurried to me. I sank to the floor, agony ripping through me.

"It hurts," I whimpered, and Charlie hurried over and lifted me carefully into his arms. I put my arms around his neck, twisting in an attempt to escape the pain. "Please, make it stop," I begged someone, vaguely aware of walls moving past me and yelling somewhere above me.

"Charlie, please, it hurts so much …" I sobbed, and suddenly Mrs Weasley was present.

"She's bleeding. Charlie, we need to get her to the nearest hospital."

"There's a muggle one five minutes down the road, but – "

"That will have to do. Quickly now," she said. The pain inside me was rising, and I wrapped a free hand around my belly.

"My baby's dying," I managed to force out, my vision going hazy from the pain.

"It's okay, Alyss, we're going to get you to a hospital," I heard Ginny say from next to me, and then we were outside, running down the road. Each movement Charlie made jostled me, and tears were running unhindered down my cheeks.

"Oh my God, it hurts so much," I cried, my hands clenching into fists as they ran.

The time passed slowly as they ran with me to the hospital. Suddenly there were white walls around me and an anxious nurse ran over to us as we entered.

"What's the matter?" she asked. Mrs Weasley replied something I didn't hear, and then suddenly I was prised away from Charlie and placed in a wheelchair of some sort.

"No, wait – " I protested – I didn't want to be taken away from the only familiar people in the whole place. I didn't really trust muggles, not with something as important as my baby.

I was laid out onto a bed and hands were reaching all over me, trying to tie things onto my face and poking needles into my skin.

"No, stop it," I said, trying to push away the hands away, fighting the fatigue that was washing over me. "No, you have to save my baby, she's dying," I told them desperately, trying to communicate my point. But I couldn't fight the tiredness any longer and I succumbed regretfully.

_She would have been so beautiful._

~x~

"Shh, I think she's waking up!" someone said quickly from nearby, and I blinked wearily, gazing round in confusion at the pale yellow walls. There was a big bunch of flowers on the bedside table next to me, several monitors beeping at me with wires attached to me, and three people sitting around my bed, leaning forward to regard me anxiously.

I shook my head in an attempt to clear it, and finally managed to get the three indistinct faces into focus. There was Mrs Weasley to my left, Charlie to my right, and Ginny sitting on the end of my bed.

"How do you feel, Alyss?" Mrs Weasley asked. I blinked in confusion, and then the most important thing sprang to mind. My hands flew down to my stomach, and I was amazed to find a bump still there.

"Is she…"

"She's fine," Charlie said with a huge grin. "But you have to stay here in bed for a couple of weeks, and then at home in bed for a further month."

"A _month_?" I repeated incredulously.

"Otherwise your baby will die," Ginny explained, her direct gaze sympathetic. I shut my eyes briefly, and then opened them again.

"But she's okay?"

"She's wonderful," Mrs Weasley said, and then added, "But I'm afraid you're going to have to find a new name, because Scarlett is in fact a he."

"A boy?" I whispered, my hands running over the bump. Mrs Weasley patted one of my hands where it rested on my stomach.

"Yes. A little boy," she confirmed. I smiled.

"_My _little boy," I murmured, and then we were interrupted by a nurse.

"Miss Lupin?"

"That's me," I said, struggling to sit up. Charlie rushed to hold me up as Mrs Weasley quickly plumped my pillows up. "Um … thanks," I said, not used to being so pampered.

"I've got three very anxious young men in the waiting area, all claiming to know you. They want to see you."

I thought for a moment. "The one called George can come in. But not the other two. They might as well just go home, I don't want to see them."

She nodded and left again without asking any questions, for which I was grateful.

"Alyss, are you sure – " Charlie began, but I cut him off.

"Yes, I'm totally sure. They nearly _killed _my _baby_. There's no way they're coming anywhere near me."

Charlie looked ready to further deliberate the point, but then the door burst open and George rushed in.

"Alyss? Oh my God I'm so sorry, I should have stopped them from – "

"It's not your fault, George," I said quickly, and pulled him into a hug. He hugged me very gently and released me quickly.

"So is this what it's going to be like? Everyone afraid to touch me?" I asked grumpily as George took a seat next to Charlie.

"We're not afraid to touch you, Alyss, we're afraid of hurting you," Charlie explained, and I frowned, but then we were all suddenly distracted by a loud roar that shook the building.

"Maverick," I groaned and hid my face in my hands.

"On it," George said and dashed out. He returned several tense minutes later with Maverick running in front of him. Maverick made a leap for my bed but Charlie caught him neatly and deposited him carefully on the bed next to me.

"You have to be gentle with your mistress, Mav, she's hurt," he explained. Maverick regarded me worriedly for a few seconds, and then licked my arm and curled up by my side.

Soon afterwards a doctor and several nurses hurried in.

"Was that really a tiger?" One of them asked, and I nodded, indicating Maverick.

"Yes, he's mine, doctor. I'm sorry he caused a fuss – he's very protective of me. Is it alright if he stays? He won't be any trouble and he'll pine if he's away from me."

The doctor regarded us thoughtfully for a moment.

"He can stay for now, mainly because none of us are brave enough to try and remove him. However, his visiting hours will be limited to two hours a day. And he should be in a zoo."

I stroked Maverick's head softly. "Thank you," I said. Usually I would have disputed it, but these people had saved my baby and I owed them big time. Mrs Weasley stood up as the doctor and nurses left.

"Alyss, I'm really sorry but it's very late and I need to get back and cook dinner for everyone. And your dad should be arriving soon."

"My dad? You told him?" my voice was a bare whisper, my mind suddenly consumed with terror.

"No, I told him you had had a very bad accident and that you needed your father. It's up to you to give him the details."

"Oh. What time is it?"

"It's about eight o'clock," Ginny said, sliding off the end of the bed. "You were out for almost ten hours. They had to pump you full of all sorts of muggle drugs to make sure you didn't miscarry."

"Well, at least they saved him," I said, waving them goodbye. Eventually only George was left.

"I really am sorry, Alyss. But I'm glad you're okay."

"It wasn't your fault, George. But thanks."

"You'll be glad to know that I yelled very loudly at the two idiots waiting outside. I made them feel very, very guilty."

I hugged him, and I could tell he was being very careful not to hurt me. "Thanks, George. For everything."

"That's what best friends are for, right?"

I grinned. "Go on, get out of here, and take this lump with you," I said, pushing Maverick off the bed. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mav, okay? I love you," I said, kissing the top of his head and then pushing him towards the door. "Be good for Uncle George."

Then I was left totally alone, and darkness started to seep around the edges of my brain.

Terror for my baby, that he wouldn't survive.

Terror for myself, that my dad would kill me when he found out.

I lay down as the light started to fade outside the window, and then a doctor bustled in.

"Miss Lupin?"

"Please, call me Alyss."

"Okay. Well, Alyss, you gave your baby quite a shock when you got in the middle of that fight, and so he rather overreacted when you got hit. It's a good thing your family brought you straight down here, because they gave us enough time to save your baby."

He was pinning something up on the wall as he spoke and I narrowed my eyes at it, trying to work out what the grainy grey image was meant to show. He kept one in his hand and brought it over to show me.

"Now, this here, this little lump, this is your baby. Yes, you can hold it," he said, and I reached out to take it, tracing the potato-like shape on the plastic.

"Is that really my baby?" I asked. I had never heard of people being able to see their babies before they were born, and I decided that I would come to see muggles just for this purpose if I ever had other kids in the future.

"Yes, he's right there. Now, we've fitted you with a little regulator that will pump a special drug into your bloodstream that prevents early labour restarting. Bed rest is imperative, as it will give your baby time to settle back down and continue to develop properly. After about a month and a half you can get back up, starting with just gentle movements, and two weeks after that you can return to school. But no taking part in sports or overexerting yourself, okay?"

I nodded, trying to imagine being confined at home for a month and a half. My dad wouldn't be there because he had to teach, so maybe I could stay with Mrs Weasley or something instead.

"Right, your father's waiting outside. Is it okay if I send him in?"

"Yes, please," I said, returning my gaze to the grainy photo of my baby, running my finger over the place where my baby was. The door burst open and my dad hurried over to my bed, sitting on it next to me.

"Alyss, honey, are you okay? What happened? What got hurt?"

I sighed. "Dad, first I need to tell you something. Something very important. And you have to promise absolutely not to freak, okay?"

"Yes, of course. What's the matter?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant, Dad."

He smiled. "No, seriously."

"Seriously. I'm going to have a baby. A boy."

He stared at me for a couple of minutes longer in disbelief, and then I shoved the little picture under his nose.

"Look, that's him. I'm here because Fred and Cedric got in a fight and one of them hit me by mistake and something went wrong inside me and they had to bring me here to fix it and stop my baby dying."

My dad took a deep breath, looking like he was thinking very hard, and then reached out and pressed the nurse button by my bed.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"We're going to get a nurse in here and get that thing out of you."

My heart rate sped up as I automatically curled up around my baby.

"No, you can't! He just nearly died, I'm not getting rid of him, not for anything or anyone."

"Alyss, you've got major exams at the end of this year, you can't afford to be pregnant this year of all times."

"I don't _care _now, Dad. I've finally got something to live for, to protect, to work towards, and I'm not giving it up, never."

He stood up and started pacing. "You're still underage, Alyss, I can make you get an abortion, and I will. I'm not going to stand around and watch you throw your whole future away!"

"I'm _not_ throwing _anything _away!" I yelled back, trying to sit up. "I'm just changing course, that's all! I _refuse _to kill my baby, Dad."

"You don't have a choice."

"It's your grandchild too," I tried, tears rising in my eyes.

"No, it's not. It's not alive yet. Killing it is best for everyone. I mean, look at you, you're not ready to take care of a child."

I swung my legs out of bed to confront him just as a nurse hurried in.

"What … no, Miss Lupin, you get your feet back into bed and keep them there."

"But he's going to kill him! He's going to kill my baby! You can't let him, please – I don't want my baby to die, I thought he did but I got to keep him and now he's going to take him away!"

The nurse pressed me down onto the bed. "Just take deep breaths, you're panicking," she said soothingly, wiping hair off my forehead. "And I suggest you leave now, sir, and I won't call security," she said coldly over her shoulder to my dad. I tried to breathe deeply, but an overwhelming fear for my baby had taken over me.

"I won't let him die, he's going to survive," I said, fighting against her. "You're going to take him away!"

"No, I'm not, honey, don't worry," she said calmingly, and pressed another button by my bed. "Now, I promise no-one in this hospital will make you give up your baby, okay? We're here to help you, only to help you. Now, you're upset and exhausted, so I'm going to get the doctor come in here and give you something to help you sleep," she explained as the door opened yet again and a doctor came in.

"Don't worry, Alyss, we're not going to hurt you," he murmured as he reached to inject something into my arm. I felt the familiar tiredness seeping through me, and as I fought to keep my eyes open I saw the doctor and nurse converse quietly, and then the doctor left as my eyes fluttered shut.

~x~

**Yeah, you should definitely take my advice about medical stuff to heart in this chapter, because I know _so much _about pregnancy and doctors and things.**

**No, don't, please, you'll probably end up killing yourself by mistake.**

**So, I'm sorry it was short, but it's kinda important for reasons that will be explained later!**


	27. Boredom

**Yeah, so I feel super-guilty about leaving you guys hanging, and my sorry butt can only plead that a hellishly nasty virus got onto my computer, and while the guy were trying to strip it down they forgot to save the original chapter 27 to somewhere safe and it got deleted/eaten. So this one took while to type up again. Sorry!**

"**Keep your dreams alive**

**Dreaming is still how the strong survive." – From 'Once Upon A Time In New York City' in Disney's Oliver and Company.**

~x~

By midday the following day I was wide awake and totally and completely bored. No-one had been to visit me yet, and I had already glanced in amazement through the shiny muggle magazines that the nurse had left on my bedside table. They were very dull, all about muggles that were famous for apparently nothing, and the pictures didn't move at all.

I had examined the fashion pages with marginally more interest, but the supply of new things to look at was quickly exhausted. So, by 12 o'clock, I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling trying to remember if there was any point in my life in which I had been as bored.

I found nothing, so I glanced – yet again – at the clock, and groaned when I saw it had only moved round by a minimal degree. I actually thought I was dying of boredom right then and there.

But then suddenly the door to the room I was in exploded inwards and George and Ginny burst in wearing huge grins and carrying armfuls of indistinguishable … well, _stuff_. There's really no other word for it. Ginny bounded onto my bed and dumped her armful of _stuff _on my legs. George added his to the pile and dropped into the chair next to the bed with an expression of great relief.

"Hi!" I said excitedly, reaching to hug Ginny. She hugged me back and then delved in the pile of stuff until she found what she was looking for.

"I brought you a letter from Fred," she announced, holding it out to me. I glanced at George and he shrugged and helped himself to a chocolate frog. With a deep breath I took the envelope, opened it and pulled out the letter.

_Alyss, _It read.

_I do this a lot, don't I? _

_Well, I just want you to know that I'm incredibly sorry for what I did, and I really hope you can forgive me because it's very hard for me to be away from you. I hope that your baby's alright and I promise to bring you lots of things to keep you amused if you'll let me see you. Cedric is sorry too but Ginny refused to take his letter, so I guess you should ask her for it – if she hasn't burned it. I don't think she approves of him much, especially after he beat us at Quidditch. Anyway, I hope that you actually read this letter and you don't just torch it right away._

_Love you always,_

_Fred_

I re-read it a couple of times and then glanced up at Ginny, who was watching me.

"Is he waiting outside?"

"Yeah," she replied with a sight grin. I sighed indecisively.

"Oh, stop being such a drama queen," George complained, and bounded up to throw the door open. Fred rushed in and straight over to me, throwing his arms around me.

"Be careful," Ginny admonished him as he squished me, and I giggled as he pulled away quickly, looking totally torn between not wanting to hurt me any more and wanting to crush me to him.

"C'mon, sit your butt down here," I said, patting the bed next to me and wriggling sideways so he could fit on. He ruffled my hair and I slapped his hand away.

"I'm glad you let me back in!" he said and slid his arm around my shoulders. I leant into him, breathing in his strong, sweet scent.

"Yeah, well, I needed the comic relief you guys bring, and as much as I love George you guys are funnier as a pair."

George grinned at me and, digging around in a pile, produced a very hairy, very ginger fake moustache which he stuck on carefully, and then found (from where I have _no _clue) a large balloon hat.

Don't ask.

And then the nurse came in and George just sat there the whole time she gave me a check-up, pretending like it was totally normal to be wearing an overlarge false moustache and a multi-coloured balloon hat.

I swear I nearly died laughing.

It was quite embarrassing, actually – you know how you try to stop laughing because you know you shouldn't but you just can't? Yeah, I was doing that kind of uncontrollable laughing, and then I accidentally snorted really loudly.

There was total silence for a few seconds and then Fred, George and Ginny all burst out laughing. The nurse just gave me an ironic look, and I could almost see her wondering what she'd done to get saddled with a crazy teenager and her moronic friends. I just sat there, blushing deeply.

The nurse didn't like Maverick very much – well, none of the hospital staff did – so after finishing checking me over she left quickly. Maverick jumped onto the bed and settled down on mine and Fred's legs after I made a huge fuss of him.

We were left in peace and quiet to chat for a little while, and Fred was just explaining the concept of a variety of sweets that would get you out of lessons, when the nurse came in and told them they had to leave.

The following few days passed in the same manner – total boredom in the mornings and then conversation with Fred, George and Ginny in the afternoons.

About a week after I had first entered the hospital, I got three new visitors. Bill Weasley came in with Tonks, who was holding hands with someone small and blonde and –

"Nessa!" I cried with amazement and she beamed and shot across the room, bounding onto the bed and hugging me tightly.

"I missed you," she said sincerely as she nestled down next to me on the bed. Tonks sat on the end of the bed and Bill took a seat next to me on a chair.

"So why are you in here?" Tonks asked curiously, glancing round at the room and the drip that was attached to my arm, and then down to the bump that my stomach made against the covers.

"Oh," she said with what sounded like amusement, and Bill frowned.

"What? I don't get it," he complained, and I sighed and pulled down the covers. I was wearing a pair of cotton pyjamas that Fred had brought for me, and the tank top was riding up over my belly, making the bump even more obvious.

"You're pregnant?" Bill asked incredulously.

"Yeah. I can't believe no-one told you," I said, toying with my plaited hair.

"How many weeks in are you?" Tonks asked, glancing at Vanessa quickly, who was sitting staring at my stomach in total astonishment.

"Um … thirteen or fourteen, I think. Nessa, don't worry, it's going to be fine."

She glanced up at me with wide eyes. "But … you … you're …"

"I'm going to be a mum. And you'll be an auntie. Isn't that cool?" I asked, hugging her. She gazed at me dubiously.

"Okay, so explain to us why you're in here," Bill said, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, I got in the middle of a fight and got hit so I'm here so I don't miscarry," I explained. Tonks seemed to understand, Bill demanded that I repeat myself slower and Vanessa just sat there staring at the bump.

After many long explanations, and several angry mutterings from Bill about how he was going to beat Cedric up, I finally managed to calm everyone down.

"So how much longer are you holed up in here for?" Tonks asked, reaching for a chocolate frog.

"About a week. Then I have to be in bed at home."

"Your home? I thought your dad was teaching?"

Bill interrupted at this point. "Yeah, actually, Alyss, mum told me to tell you that you're coming to stay at our house. I didn't get why, but now I do."

"Right, thanks," I said with a smile, and hugged Nessa again. "How are you, honey?"

"I'm fine thank you. School is fun, but I got in trouble the other day because I fell into the lake."

I laughed and ruffled her hair. "That's my girl." She batted my hand away impatiently in the exact same way I did, and I chuckled.

"So how did you fall in?"

"Well, there's this boy that doesn't like me much, and I _might _have said something that he didn't like, so he pushed me in."

I stifled a laugh. "What did you say to him?"

"Well, I said that he smells bad, which is so _true_, but he pushed me in the water. And then I got detention."

I took deep breaths to press the laughter down. "Why did you get detention?"

"I kind of called him some swear words. But I didn't realise the teacher was there!"

I gave up and started laughing hard, and Tonks joined in.

"You two are just pure trouble," Bill said with a smile, and I squeezed Nessa to me.

"She takes after me!"

~x~

When they finally let me out of the hospital, it was only under strict instructions to not get out of bed. I promised the worried-looking doctor that I wouldn't so much as take a short walk around the garden, but he looked at me sceptically.

I had Bill, Mrs Weasley and Fred all there to pick me up. My pyjamas, random gifts and magazines and things had all been packed by a helpful nurse, despite my protests, because Mrs Weasley could have done it in about two seconds with a flick of her wand, but the nurse insisted, and I couldn't very well tell her about magic or anything.

So I was bundled up in a thick blanket in case I got cold, and put in a wheelchair so I could be taken out to a waiting taxi. I felt like such an idiot, especially as I was dieing to get up and stretch my legs for longer than it took to walk to the bathroom and back, but Mrs Weasley was doing her scary strict thing, so I thought it was best to just sit quietly and suck it up.

When the surprised taxi dropped us off outside the Burrow, Fred carried me inside, even though I tried to make him let me walk, and I was taken into the sitting room and installed on the sofa.

"What happened to the bed?" I asked with a broad grin as he tucked the blanket carefully around me.

"Well, I figured you'd rather be down here," he said with a laugh, shifting my legs so he could sit down at the other end of the sofa. George soon came bounding down the stairs with Ginny and Charlie in tow, and they started up a card game that I – irritatingly – couldn't reach, so I was forced to watch (albeit in deep amusement) as the cards exploded up into Fred's face.

I sighed as they played and stretched out, and mentally ticked one day off the thirty-one I would be stuck in bed/on the sofa.

It was going to be a long, long month.

~x~

One week later there was the usual mad frenzy as everyone prepared to go back to school. Nessa had been shipped off home two days previously, and I was lying, rubbing my tummy, as various members of the Weasley family dashed back and forth in frantic last-minute preparations.

Eventually, somehow, the chaos subsided and Fred and George detached themselves to come and say goodbye. Maverick was curled up on my legs, and he seemed totally unaffected by the tumult surrounding him.

George squeezed me first.

"I'm gonna miss you, Lupe," he said, and I laughed.

"It's only three weeks, George. You'll survive. Say hi to everyone for me, okay?"

"Okay," he replied, looking morose, and I smiled at him.

"I'll miss you too."

"Okay, my turn," Fred announced, pushing George aside and drawing me to him, squishing me tight against his body. He breathed in deeply, his face against my hair. I hugged him back just as tightly, and we stayed like that for a long moment.

"Uh, Fred, you might want to be careful," George said, sounding slightly worried, and Fred sighed and released me.

"I'll miss you," he said, gazing at me. I smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll miss you too. Take care of George for me."

Across the room, George snorted loudly, and we both grinned. Then Mrs Weasley's harried shout sounded from outside, and with last, regretful goodbyes, both boys hurried outside and I listened to the sound of the cars fading into the distance.

I sighed and was just reaching for my book when Bill wandered in.

"Hey," he said, crossing the room and dropping gratefully into one of the squishy armchairs.

"Hi," I replied with a grin – he looked exhausted. "What have you been doing?"

"Fending the gnomes off from the suitcases. They find it highly amusing to hide themselves in bags and bites peoples' fingers when they reach in to get something."

I laughed, and he chuckled too. "They may be onto something," I pointed out, and Bill laughed outright.

"Just don't go suggesting the idea of a biting bag to Fred and George, okay?" he beseeched me. I grinned and drew an invisible X over my chest.

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

He smiled. "So, what do you do usually?" he asked, and I thought about it.

"I usually read, or talk to someone. Usually your mum is cooking so I can chat to her while everyone else is outside."

"Oh, I see. Would you be really mad if I went upstairs? I've got some really important letters to write …"

"Say no more," I said, waving my hand. "Go on, I'll read my book. It's just getting to a good part anyway."

He beamed in relief and crossed the room quickly.

"See you later!" he called cheerfully as he disappeared up the stairs, and I smiled absently, my hand drawing circles on my swollen belly.

"Four months to go, baby," I told it, and sighed. I wondered how people at school would react to the news – I was getting past the point where I could hide my pregnancy, and I was sure I would be the focus of gossip. I suppose I could just pray that Harry did something heroic but moronic and diverted all the focus. Yeah, that could work.

I sighed again, in realisation of what the niggling annoyance at the back of my mind was – I missed my dad. I hated having him mad at me, and although I know there was nothing I could do about it, it still made me feel pretty miserable.

In fact, two seconds later I was crying. I cursed hormones as I reached for the box of tissues on the table, and when I was done cleaning myself up I picked up my book and turned to the open page.

Boredom, ever inevitable, was setting in hard.

~x~

**Again, sorry sorry sorry!**

**And I'm sorry that the chapter sucked so bad, I just figured you guys would want something, even if it's terrible.**

**-dives for cover-**

**I love my reviewers :)**


	28. The Things We Do

**Okay, so I tried to update fast to make up for the crappy last chapter. It didn't work.**

"**And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams;**

**is there anyone out there 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe." – Maroon 5, Harder To Breathe**

~x~

I was shaken awake later in the day by Mrs Weasley. I had fallen asleep with a book in my hand, and I gazed regretfully at the crumpled pages before turning my attention to Mrs Weasley.

"Alyss, dear? The doctor's here to give you our check-up. It's been a week since you left the hospital."

I blinked – my sleepy brain was taking a bit of time to kick in. When I eventually managed to make sense of her words I smiled.

"Oh, right, of course," I said. The doctor behind her moved forward, paused nervously until I had the presence of mind to shoo Maverick, who was sprawled next to the sofa, away, and knelt down next to me. I pulled myself up into a sitting position and he frowned, but let me have it my way. As he pulled out various instruments from his leather bag/case-thing, Mrs Weasley wandered back into the kitchen and I attempted to make light conversation.

"So, how's things at the hospital?"

He glanced up at me as he pulled out his heartbeat-thing. I hadn't bothered to learn the name of any of the muggle implements he used yet.

"Fine, thank you. Could you remove the blanket for me?"

"Sure thing," I said, pushing the blanket off. He attached himself to the heartbeat-thing and pressed the cold circle to my swollen belly.

"Ah, cold," I complained, making a slight hissing noise as it came into contact with my skin. He smiled absently as he listened carefully.

"Is everything okay?" I asked as he put the thing away and pulled out a syringe.

"It seems fine so far, but I'm going to take a blood sample and a blood pressure reading before I can know for sure."

I gulped. "A needle?"

He grinned broadly. "Surely a big girl like you isn't afraid of a needle?"

I scowled. "Yup, I'm afraid I am. Can't you just, like, do the blood pressure thing and leave the needle out of it?"

"No, I'm afraid the blood sample is of the utmost importance."

He loomed closer, and I pressed myself further against the back of the sofa. I really _hate _needles.

"Look, seriously, I'll stay in bed for an extra week or something, just don't put that – _ow_!"

He had just grabbed my arm and pushed the needle in. I started at the unexpected pain and glared at him as the syringe slowly filled up with blood. As soon as he withdrew the needle I rubbed my arm with quick movements. Mrs Weasley had come into the room when I had shouted out, and she was standing with a slight smile on her face as I evilled the doctor.

"That wasn't nice of you," I informed him, my eyes narrowed, my body tense in case he tried any other tricks. He chuckled and began pulling other things out of his bag. My eyes wandered around the room as he waited, and I noticed that it had been disguised to look like an average middle-class semi-detached living room.

He allowed me to stand up briefly so that he could weigh me, and they I was ordered to lie down again.

Then the doctor wrapped a sleeve-type thing around my upper arm, not the one he'd just taken blood from.

I recognised it from previous check-overs and waited for the pressure. He pressed the heartbeat-thing against it and stared at a small screen next to it for a couple of minutes, and then removed it with a broad smile.

"Well, Alyss, as hard as it is to believe you've managed to keep still and let your baby recover. He's doing absolutely fine, as are you. However, I'd like you to eat more, if you can. You're slightly under what you should weigh, so just take extra portions at dinner time, okay?"

I grinned. "Sure thing, Doc." How about that – being _told _to eat extra. I could get used to this. I got myself comfy again on the sofa as the doctor went over to Mrs Weasley and spoke quietly with her, and then he left.

"Goodbye, Alyss. See you in a week."

"Bye," I called after him, and pulled the blanket back up around myself. Mrs Weasley came in and waved her wand quickly, letting the room return to its normal state. I could swear it groaned quietly in relief. But that's probably just my imagination.

"So, Mrs Weasley, what's for dinner tonight?" I asked with a smile, and she settled herself down in the armchair next to me and picked up some knitting. Oh yes, she knits. How old-school muggle is that?

"I'm making a stew."

"Awesome."

I reached down for my book, turned to the page I had been on before, and absently stroked Maverick, who had returned to his original position next to me on the floor. I could tell there was something she wanted to talk to me about, but I knew Mrs Weasley well so I knew she'd get round to it when she was ready.

We sat in comfortable silence for several more minutes before she put down her knitting, removed her glasses and turned to me. I rested my book, spine up, on my tummy and put on my best listening face. After all, she was looking after me, it was the least I could do to pay attention to her.

"Alyss, I just want you to know that you can always talk to me, about anything. With your mum absent and your dad not exactly … on board … with this baby, you'll need someone to talk to. Plus, I've had seven children, so I ought to be able to answer any questions you've got."

I was suddenly fighting back tears again, this time in surprise at her kindness, and I sniffed hugely.

"Thanks, Mrs Weasley. That means a lot."

She saw my watery eyes and quickly wrapped me up into a huge, motherly hug. I gulped down tears against her shoulder for a while, and then she withdrew.

"So, do you have any question?"

I nodded. "Yes. When will he start kicking?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment or two. "Soon, I should think. It's around this time that all of mine started."

"And all the mood-swings and everything, will they go away at any point in the near-conceivable future? I'm kinda sick of them."

She laughed this time, and patted my hand. "They should, it's hard to say exactly."

"Hmm," I said absently.

"Was there anything else?" she asked softly, and I turned back to her.

"Yes. Will it … will it hurt a lot? You know, when he has to born."

She sighed, and patted my hand again. "Yes, it will hurt. But don't be scared, because you'll have forgotten all of the pain after a really short time. The baby makes everything worth it."

I glanced up at her face, but she was staring into the middle-distance, lost in the past, a slight smile lighting up her face. I left her with her memories and picked my book up again.

~x~

I was only allowed to stand up to go to the bathroom and to walk up the stairs to go to bed. Mrs Weasley had moved me into Ginny's bedroom on the first floor, so I didn't have far to go downstairs or to get to the bathroom. After stuffing myself at dinner I went almost straight to bed and fell asleep quickly, curled over on my side, forced to share half of the bed with Maverick, who had polished off almost an entire side of beef.

I woke myself up sobbing much later.

My dreams had been extremely vivid over the last couple of months, and this one was no different. Except, in this one, rather than just me and occasionally random unknowns frolicking through a daisy field or similar, I had been in a hospital bed. There had been a plastic cot next to me, and I had reached into it and felt the soft rise and fall of a baby's sleeping chest.

I had stretched, my tummy flat again, and then it had all gone wrong.

A hooded man had run in and pinned me to the bed while another grabbed the baby from the cot, and then I had been thrown onto the ground as they left with the screaming child.

And the sense of loss that flooded me had woken me up and brought the tears pouring down my cheeks. Maverick woke up too, but he couldn't sense a threat that should have brought me to tears, so he licked my cheek and then went back to sleep.

I curled myself tighter around my bump, and wiped my face with angry hands. This was so stupid. I sat up in bed, leaning back on my hands, and ran a hand through my tangled hair. I was sick of being stuck in bed, of being away from school when everyone else was being with each other and preparing for their OWLs. I mean, sure, the work was being sent to me, and I was doing my best to ignore it, but I missed my friends a lot.

I hunched over and curled my arms around the bump where my baby was growing, and at that moment I didn't think it was worth it. All the fear and pain and loneliness and sadness wasn't going away, and it wasn't going to. It was going to multiply and increase, and soon my whole life was going to be taken over by a demanding, uncaring baby who didn't want to know how I felt about anything.

The tears were falling again, and I reached for the box of tissues on the bedside table. I sighed deeply as I stared out of the window opposite the bed. I hated feeling so melodramatic, but I was beginning to give up. Something I'd never done before.

But then, true to all clichés ever written, my baby kicked.

My hands flew down to my stomach as my lips formed a little 'o' of surprise, and then I froze, totally still, waiting for him to kick again.

"Go on, baby," I whispered out loud. There were several seconds of nothingness, and my hope was fading, when the little nudge came again and my belly rippled. I grinned like a fool and clambered out of bed awkwardly, running down the stairs, all thoughts of bed-rest forgotten, Maverick stumbling down behind me sleepily.

Mr and Mrs Weasley were sitting in the living room, talking quietly to each other, when I appeared at the bottom of the stairs, almost falling but clutching onto the banister to save myself at the last moment.

"Alyss, what on Earth are you doing?" Mr Weasley asked as he and Mrs Weasley both hurried to their feet.

"You _know _you're not supposed to be out of bed yet," Mrs Weasley remonstrated with me, but I was swelling with happiness and delight.

Talk about a mood swing.

"But he just _kicked_! He kicked me for the first time!" I announced, beaming. I could feel the laughter rising in me like bubbles of delicious mirth, and I giggled softly as another nudge came. Mrs Weasley came straight towards me.

"That's wonderful, dear!" she exclaimed, propelling me over to the sofa. She sat me down firmly, and I gazed at her with shining eyes as she and Mr Weasley resumed their seats and Maverick went back to sleep in front of the fire.

"He kicked! That means he's alive and happy!"

They exchanged fond, indulgent glances, and then Charlie appeared down the stairs, rubbing his face.

"What's all the fuss?" he complained, and I went to leap to my feet but Mrs Weasley held me down.

"My baby kicked!" I told him proudly, and he blinked.

"It did?"

"_He _did, yes. Isn't that just the coolest thing ever?!"

He grinned. "Yes, very cool. Can I go back to bed now?"

I laughed. "Feel free." I was feeling giddy with the excitement, and Mrs Weasley must have seen that I wasn't about to go to sleep any time soon, so she got my blanket from where it was folded up to one side of the room and draped it around me.

I didn't notice: I was totally lost inside myself and the occasional nudges of movement. Suddenly the life growing inside of me seemed real and vibrant, and the fears that had had me in tears bare minutes earlier seemed irrelevant and silly now, now that I could feel my baby inside of me.

~x~

I guess I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up on the sofa the next morning, lying down, and blinked as the morning sun streamed through the windows and onto my face. I hugged myself, remembering the kicks from last night, and then sighed and got up, making my way over to the fridge. I had a really bad craving for walnuts suddenly, which was weird because I don't like them _at all_ usually. But I found a packet and scarfed half of them down, then sat down at the table to eat some cereal.

It was still pretty early, so I didn't want to disturb the sleeping Weasleys. Instead I crept upstairs – no mean feat when you're five months pregnant – and slipped into Ginny's room. My clothes were hanging up in the wardrobe, and I went over to it and gazed in slight annoyance at the row of pretty summer dresses and jeans. All I could fit into now were the maternity clothes Mrs Weasley had found in a muggle charity shop and most pairs of my pyjamas.

Hell.

Being fat really sucked.

I pulled out a pair of old tracksuit bottoms with a stretchy waist-band and a t-shirt, then went back to the sofa. I turned my iPod on and picked up my book again. At this rate I was gonna be reading so much my eyes would go square or something.

By the time Mrs Weasley arrived downstairs I was sitting staring out the window, my eyes narrowed as the sun rose higher and higher over the fields, trying to work out how I would be able to get outside.

I spent most of the day trying to sneak out.

I failed miserably.

~x~

The remaining three weeks of my incarceration at the Burrow passed miserably slowly. Being allowed to get up and move around after another week of bed-rest improved my spirits somewhat, but I was always under supervision, and not allowed to do anything strenuous, even though I was certain I had totally recovered.

Mrs Weasley and I had spent the previous week before my return to school stitching and sewing like crazy to alter my uniform so that I could fit into it. As I struggled into in front of the mirror the evening I was due to return, I gazed forlornly at my reflection.

My pregnancy was way too obvious, and I could only pray that my robes would cover it up somewhat. The jumper stretched across the bump, along with the shirt underneath, and my skirt looked ridiculous, being all short.

But there was nothing I could do about it, so I sighed and headed downstairs. After a long debate several nights previously, we decided it would be easiest to write to McGonagall and get her to open up a fireplace to the floo network for the night. The spinning wouldn't be good, but I reckoned we could manage it.

I appeared in the kitchen as Bill disappeared into the emerald flames clutching my trunk, and Charlie was waiting, hanging grimly onto a struggling Maverick.

"You owe me big time," he said as Maverick ripped a hole into his trousers, and then he dragged the rebellious tiger into the green fire and chucked down some powder, yelling "Hogwarts!" as he did so. He disappeared, and I heard Maverick's yowl, which was cut off abruptly.

"My turn?" I asked, moving forwards. I was totally buzzing with the excitement of seeing my friends again.

"Yes. But remember, be careful. And make sure you don't fall down at the other end," Mrs Weasley instructed. I nodded cheerily, deciding not to bother pointing out that I had yet to travel via floo without falling over at the other end.

I stepped into the fire, threw down the floo powder and shouted "Hogwarts!"

I shut my eyes against the sickening spinning, and then felt myself falling forwards.

"Crap," I said, opening my eyes as the floor rushed towards me. Fortunately, hands caught me before I hit the ground, and then suddenly I was crushed in the centre of a group hug, people shouting and yelling and cheering all around me.

Feeling extremely confused, I eventually managed to work out that Fred and George were closest to me, squishing me between them, and then Keira, Zoe, Isobel and Lee were all pressing in, trying to hug me.

"Eep," I said after a while, and then started hugging them all back. They were all chattering away at me, and I had no clue what any of them were on about, so I let them get it all out of their systems while I hugged them.

Eventually McGonagall broke it up, and ordered us all back to our dormitory. Fred, George and Lee picked up my trunk as I waved goodbye to Charlie and Bill, who stepped back into the fire and vanished. Maverick followed behind us as Zoe and Keira looped their arms through mine and brought me right back up to speed on everything I'd missed.

We entered the common room to find it pleasantly full, a happy buzz of chatter going on. I was almost totally ignored, which was a relief, and then after we'd managed to get my trunk upstairs and ditch the boys I collapsed onto my bed with a dramatic sigh of relief.

"I swear to God that walk's longer than it was before Easter," I complained, kicking my shoes off and wriggling out of my heavy robes. The other three stared in astonishment at my tummy.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," I said acidly – the tiredness was grating on my nerves.

"Sorry, we just … it's just weird to see," Keira said, looking uncomfortable. I grinned and held my arms out.

"I'm kidding," I told her, and she beamed and hugged me. "I missed you guys."

Zoe and Isobel fell down on the bed next to me.

"So, you got a name yet?" Zoe inquired, and I laughed and elbowed her.

"You seriously _define _one-track mind."

"Huh?"

"Weren't you harping on about baby names at, like, Christmas?"

We all started laughing again, and I was astonished by how much I had missed being with them. Even if they were a bunch of crazies.

"Yeah, so?" Zoe asked belligerently, carrying on the argument.

"Okay, I give. I have two I just can't decide between. I like Jace, because he was a simply _awesome _character in a book I read while incarcerated, plus I just love the name, but then I really like Lucas too, because it's like Lykos, which is Greek for wolf."

"Hold the phone," Isobel said, sitting up. "What happened to Scarlett?"

"Yeah, the girl makes a point," Zoe said, also propping herself up on her elbows, and Isobel smacked her.

"What was that for?" Zoe asked, looking hurt, and Isobel raised an eyebrow.

"Call me 'the girl' one more time," she threatened, and Zoe raised her hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay, but that still doesn't explain why you've gone all boyish all of a sudden," she said, turning to me, and I grinned.

"Well, it's kind of a long story, but I when I got banged up in that muggle hospital they found out that the baby is actually a boy."

"Ah, I see," Zoe said, and lay back down. "Well, I like Jace."

"I like Lucas," Isobel countered with a scowl. I turned to Keira.

"What about you?"

She shrugged. "I like them both the same. You pick."

"Ah, hell. You guys are no use."

All three giggled, and I grinned. It was so good to be back.

~x~

**Ah, same excuse as for my SWAC story – no bleeding internet down here in the depths of the French countryside. I'm having to walk my dog three times a day (even though **_**she **_**doesn't want walks) in return for my parents phoning the internet people. **

**Anyway, on a different note, I'm totally stuck between the two names. I'm using Sirius for the middle name, so I would love it if you guys would vote: Jace Sirius or Lucas Sirius. I'm so indecisive, and this has sent me into the biggest ditherspaz. **


	29. Return

"**I know there's something more to us than our mistakes."**

_Believe, Skillet_

---

We all fell asleep on my bed that night, tangled up around each other, with Maverick snuggled in between us.

Keira shook me awake the next morning.

"As cute as you looked asleep and all, with your hair looking like a birds nest and your face all screwed up, it's time to get up. Unless you want to skip breakfast."

I groaned and for a moment weighed up the pros and cons. On the one hand, an extra half hour in bed. On the other, food. I sighed and got out of bed, staggering towards the bathroom.

"Wow, I forgot how good you are in the morning," Isobel said, beaming, as I washed my face and then struggled into my uniform. I gave her the finger and leaned towards the mirror to do my make-up quickly. By this time, everyone else was up and dressed. I hadn't seen Angelina and Alicia at all, so I figured they'd come in after we'd gone to sleep and got up earlier.

When I was finally done getting ready, I pulled my jumper down self-consciously and pulled my robes around myself more.

"You look fine," Keira told me softly as we headed down the stairs.

"Yeah, with a gihugic tummy and birds-nest hair," I shot back grumpily, and she linked her arm through mine.

"Stop worrying. Honestly, it's not that noticeable. And you could always put your hair up," she added with a grin.

"Of course," I said, mentally smacking myself as I pulled my hair up into a ponytail.

We got to the Entrance Hall and I paused in front of the doorway leading into the Great Hall.

"I don't think I can," I said, suddenly feeling extremely sick. I could feel myself starting to shake, and clenched my hands into fists to stop them trembling. Then, suddenly, Fred's cool, brilliant presence was behind me, steadying me. He took me by the elbows and bent his head forward to whisper in my ear.

"Being scared of people is _silly_," he told me firmly, and steered me into the Great Hall. Helplessly, I watched as heads turned and conversations fell instantly flat.

"Yeah, it's hidden _really _well," I muttered to Keira, and she blushed but gazed stonily around. I could feel Fred walking behind me, and his grip on me tightened as the silence was suddenly ruptured by a thousand whispers. I felt Maverick's reassuring bulk press into my thigh as he growled, the sound rumbling over the gossip.

I felt tears forming. This wasn't fair. It was just too hard. I turned, ready to run, to get away from all the hatred and contempt, and I think Fred would have let me go, too. But through tear-blurred eyes I saw Cedric halt in front of me, gazing down at me impassively.

I waited, frozen into silence like the rest of the Great Hall. Then a huge smile broke out onto his face and he hugged me tight, kissing me on the cheek and nodding to Fred.

"Why don't you all stop staring now?" George suggested firmly to all the students, and they immediately turned back to each other, shooting furtive glances in my direction. As I was escorted my friends – who now closely resembled a group of security guards – I snuck a glance up at the High Table, and saw several different expressions ranged over the faces.

Most held shock.

McGonagall's held exasperation.

Dumbledore's held amusement.

And my father's … well, let's not go there.

I looked away quickly to take my seat. Cedric sat down in the middle of our group, and they all engaged in conversation around me as I reached unenthusiastically for a grape and popped it in my mouth.

"Eat," Isobel instructed firmly, reaching around Cedric to plonk a bowl of fruit in front of me.

"But I don't want – "

"For the baby, Alyss," Zoe butted in, and I rolled my eyes at her. The whispering on either sides of us sky-rocketed.

After I had forced down my breakfast and managed to persuade Maverick to go back up to the dorms, it was time for my first class – Charms.

"At least it's something easy to get me back into the swing of things," I said to Cedric as we headed towards charms together. Fred had dashed off to get something with George, and the others were well ahead of us. I was trying very hard to ignore all the pointed looks and whispers around me. I reassured myself with the knowledge that the first day was always the worst.

---

Three days later, the constant whispering showed no signs of abating. Zoe and Isobel were well plugged-in to the school gossip, and it hadn't taken them long to find out the two main topics of conversation concerning me: what I was doing with the baby, and who the father was. Apparently opinions were pretty divided between Fred, George and Cedric. I was surprised to hear some people thought I was … uh … _involved _with George – we'd only ever been friends.

Anyway, I was sitting in bed in the evening, idly stroking Maverick, who was feeling particularly pleased with himself because he'd managed to sneak an entire side of beef off the dinner table in the Great Hall. He'd hidden it somewhere, and I wasn't exactly agile enough anymore to go poking round the castle trying to find it, so I figured I'd just let him keep it.

I jumped hugely as the door burst inwards and Zoe ran in, followed by Isobel. Both of them looked pretty pissed off. Keira and I both gave them puzzled glances, but the reason for their temper became apparent when Angelina and Alicia came in after them.

To my horror, Angelina came and sat on the end of my bed.

"Can I help you?" I asked after a long, awkward silence. She glared at me for a moment, and then her expression turned curious and calculating. I swallowed.

"Yes, actually. First, you can tell me whose baby that is."

"I _can_?" I replied, with fake pleasure. "Wow, _Angie, _that's so generous of you!"

"Cut the crap, Lupin," she said impatiently. I scowled.

"What if I don't want to tell you?"

"Well, I'll tell you now that if it's Fred's baby I'll kill you," she said firmly. I rolled my eyes.

"Angela, he's not your boyfriend. Newsflash: he doesn't even _like _you. He went out with you once, but that's way over now."

"So it is his? I knew it!"

I sighed wearily. "No, Angela, it's not his. It's not George's either. It's mine. He's all mine."

"It's a he?"

"Obviously."

I could hear Keira moving closer, and then she plonked herself down next to me.

"So you're keeping it?"

"Obviously," I replied again, and then got up from the bed, one hand resting on my stomach. "Now piss off," I said, and headed towards the bathroom to pee.

I slept badly that night, dreading tomorrow. It would be my first lesson with my dad since he found out about my baby. When I woke up in the morning, exhausted still, I got out of bed quickly and showered, then took a long time getting ready to make sure that I looked confident enough to face him.

Maverick jumped down from the bed behind me as other people started getting up and getting ready, and I sat on my trunk and stroked his ears gently. He purred, and rubbed up against me, leaving white and black hairs all over my uniform. I laughed and massaged his jowls.

"You are so silly," I told him with a grin, kissing the end of his nose. He made a "hnk" noise, perhaps in disagreement, and then padded after Keira as she headed out the door. I followed them all out, down into the Great Hall.

"Alyss!" someone yelled, and I glanced up from studying my feet to see George patting the space next him, while glaring at a second-year, daring them to encroach on the space he'd saved for me.

"George, I'm not that big yet. This space could fit two of me."

"It _is _fitting two of you," he reminded me with a beam, and when I rolled my eyes he tousled my hair.

"So, you freaking out yet?" Fred asked from across the table, stealing a piece of toast off my plate.

"Uh, just maybe a little," I told him sarcastically, and he smirked.

"Well, I'm not," he replied, and took a huge gulp of pumpkin juice. "I can't wait to see how it goes down."

"Thanks for the support," I said, and he laughed.

"Eat up," George said, nudging me in the side. I glanced down at the plate in front of me, then sighed and piled it up with fruit and yoghurt.

By DADA, which was last period, I was so exhausted from worrying all day I had sort of ceased to care what happened. I wandered into the room and plonked myself down in my usual seat at the back next to George, who was gazing impassively at the front of the classroom. I followed his gaze to see my dad staring at me, looking like he couldn't decide whether to be pissed off or disappointed. I rolled my eyes and went back to shuffling around in my bag for my wand.

Today there were fewer pointed glances in my direction while we waited for the last couple of people to arrive, and I was relaxing until my dad spoke.

"Hello, class. I'm going to need you to pack up, actually, because we're having a practical lesson outside today."

I glanced out of the window to see the trees bending almost in half with the force of the wind.

"Are you serious?" I asked before my brain caught up with my mouth and I clamped it shut.

"Do you have a problem with that, Alyss?" my dad asked, his eyes flashing dangerously. I sighed.

"No, _sir,_" I replied, and swept my books back into my bag. I struggled to my feet and followed the rest of the class out of the door. My dad was leading the way, and Fred dropped back to walk next to me. My dad set a brisk pace, and due to the fact that I wasn't in either the mood or physical condition to walk very fast, I dropped behind quickly. Fred stuck loyally beside me.

"Screw him," I panted to Fred as we hurried along, and he laughed.

"It's funny. He seems to be in some sort of denial about this whole thing. Like, if he ignores it, it'll just go away."

"He would be so lucky," I muttered murderously.

Fortunately, we went outside to a sheltered part of the castle, and the wind wasn't nearly so strong. My dad was standing by a locked, rattling chest as Fred and I joined the rest of the class, George winking at us, and I dropped my bag and rubbed my tummy absently as I listened half-heartedly to what my dad was saying, having to shout over the wind.

"Okay, who can tell me what's in this chest?"

I looked around as most people's hands went up and was a little surprised when George put his hand up too.

"You're voluntarily answering a question?" I murmured in his ear as my dad picked someone else. He grinned at me.

"Mum has a huge go at us for not making an effort in our best friend's father's class, so occasionally we volunteer answers. Besides, everyone knows this one, we've been studying these for weeks now."

"Oh, right," I replied, and tuned back in to my dad's shouted lecture.

"So, the best way to defeat an Egret is to keep moving, using – what was the term used here?"

"Agile evasion," someone at the other end of the class called out, and I snorted.

"Looks like I'll be sitting this one out," I muttered to Fred, who laughed.

"Right, so using agile evasion you keep out of its line of sight until you can get behind it and shoot the spell at it from behind. Now, while one of its poison darts won't do any real damage – these are only young ones – they will still induce pain, possibly vomiting and mild dizziness. So, form a line, we'll take it in turns."

I wandered over to sit against the wall while the rest of the class formed a ragged line, all pushing each other forward, until my dad noticed me.

"Have you just decided not to join in today, Alyss? I'm sorry if this isn't interesting enough for you," he shouted from where he was standing. Rolling my eyes and giving him the finger behind my back, I yelled back.

"Yeah, the whole 'agile evasion' thing isn't working for me. I can't really do anything agilely at the moment."

He scowled and stomped up to where I was sitting.

"You can still take part," he retorted through gritted teeth.

"Um, no," I said, wrapping my cloak tighter around myself. "That pain thing you were talking about? Yeah, that could induce early labour again, and wouldn't _that_ be embarrassing for you?"

He growled something but seemed to give up and returned to where the class was waiting. I felt a small spike of satisfaction, but mostly anger and sadness that he just wouldn't accept me and the baby and move on. After all, he was my dad and he was all I had in terms of family.

---

I was in a pretty foul mood by the time we returned to Gryffindor Tower, and only the prospect of supper stopped me going straight to my dorm and curling up and going to sleep. Keira patted my shoulder sympathetically as I slumped into an armchair by the fire.

"I hate my dad," I said after a while of silence, and she smiled.

"I think you're justified with that."

"He's just so … so … gah!"

Fred plonked himself down in the chair next to me and planted a quick kiss on my cheek.

"Don't have an epi, dear. It's not – "

"Not good for the baby," I interrupted and stuck my tongue out at him. He chuckled and then pulled me onto the sofa with him, so we were lying together. I stared into the fire, feeling his strong chest against my back and shifting so I was comfortable.

"I'm scared," I told him quietly, thankful no-one could hear us over the crackle of the fire. He just put his arms around me, over the bulge in my stomach, and kissed the side of my neck.

"I'm here for you," he promised, and I smiled and moved my hands up to cover his.

"I know."

---


	30. Hug A Slytherin Day

"_Maybe she's crazy – a little like you. Everyone said that she's nothing but trouble." – Pretend, Scott Porter and the Glory Dogs._

Although I wasn't about to admit it, I was sort of looking forward to the next DADA class. I had decided, after a couple of hours of tears after he'd bollocked me for mispronouncing a spell twice, that it was about time I started getting even with my dad.

Now, getting even wasn't as simple as it used to be. While my brain was ticking faster than usual, on account of having been pretty much inactive for a good month or so, my body wasn't going to be able to do what I wanted it to. I had weighed up the pros and cons of everything, and decided that I wouldn't start a full-scale war quite yet – I would start with snide comments and superbly placed sarcasm.

I had explained my plan of campaign to Fred and George, who had looked suitably interested, and had told them it was their job to go along with whatever I did. So, as we waited patiently outside with the rest of the class for yet _another _practical lesson, my dad came up to me. The rest of the class hadn't spotted him yet, so he had the opportunity to speak to me quickly before people started eavesdropping. Well, Fred and George already were, but I don't think they count.

After I had refused on fourteen separate occasions to meet him in his rooms for a "chat", he had obviously decided to corner me.

"So, Alyss, have you made up your mind about getting rid of the baby yet?"

I flipped my hair expertly – I'd been practising – and beamed. "Of course I have."

His face brightened momentarily.

"You've known from the beginning I was keeping it," I announced, and his face fell again.

"Alyss, please," he begged, passing a tired hand over his face. Great, he was trying to use the guilt card on me. Well, two could play at that game.

"Dad, don't," I said, and found my eyes suddenly filled with tears. Huh. These hormones weren't all bad. "I'm not discussing this again," I told him, letting my bottom lip tremble, "I'm not going to change my mind. If you can't accept me then I don't want anything else to do with you."

He muttered something, gave me one more desperate look, and then strode to the front. I wiped the tears away, cursing under my breath, and turned to half-pay-attention. I watched my dad – he looked even more exhausted than usual, and his skin was almost grey, his hair ruffled and messy. I counted quickly and realised that the night before had been a full moon.

Ah, sucks to be him. Maybe I hadn't picked the right time to fight. My ears pricked suddenly as I thought I heard my name drifting on the breeze. Creeped out, my head whipped round to stare at the forest. As I watched, an arrow came sailing out from between the trees and lodged itself in the trunk of an oak near to where I was standing. Several members of the class screamed; others pulled out their wands. Fred and George moved in front of me automatically, and I was momentarily distracted by trying to move them out of the way.

My dad strode up to the arrow and plucked it out of the tree. A scrap of parchment fell away as he pulled it, and he picked it up with a frown. I caught a flash of black ink and moved closer to see the picture drawn. I froze dead still. It was a butterfly, the lines shaky, and there were four bloody fingerprints on the edge. I didn't stop to think.

"Nova!" I screamed, and set off at a sprint towards the forest. I was certain something had befallen her, and I wasn't about to let her be alone when she was hurt.

Due to my larger-by-the-day tummy, Fred caught up with me quickly.

"Alyss, what are you _doing?_" he panted, catching hold of my arm. I refused to stop, dragging him forward.

"My friend's in there, and she's hurt," I informed him breathlessly. George appeared alongside me and tried to turn me back. I swore at them – we were nearing the forest, and I could hear several other footsteps behind us.

"Alyss, please, it's dangerous, especially with the – "

"Just this once, Frederick, I do not give a shit about the _baby. _My friend could be _dying _in there, and I'm not leaving her alone."

"Let the teachers – " George began, but paused at the savagery in my eyes. We crashed through the beginnings of the undergrowth and into the main forest.

"_Nova_!" I shrieked, and I heard her voice faintly.

"Alyss," she moaned, and I followed the sound. We almost fell over her. She was lying on her side, her hair and tail spread out like sheet lightening, her face bloodied and her flanks twitching feebly. My hands went to my mouth as I saw the arrow buried in the shoulder of the horse half of her body, the grey fur around it covered in her blood.

"What _happened_?" I breathed, dropping to my knees next to her.

"Ronan," she sobbed, her voice faint as I took one of her hands in mine. "I was with Daegan. You remember him?"

I thought for a moment, and then had it. "The one who was exiled with his family for being too liberal?" I inquired, and she nodded, her chest moving less and less with each breath. I turned my face up to Fred and George, the tears already running down my face.

"Tell me you can do something," I begged, and Fred dropped to his knees next to me, examining the place where the arrow stuck into her body with careful eyes. George reached down to her other hand and held it tightly.

"Ronan caught us," she said, continuing with her story, and I clenched my eyes shut.

"Your brother did this to you?" I asked in horror, and she tried to shrug, but couldn't.

"I think he was aiming for Daegan. I told him to run away and come back for me later – I didn't truly believe my brother would hurt me."

I could hear crashing through the undergrowth. I experienced hope for a moment, and then with a sickening feeling I realised I could hear hooves, not feet.

"Can you stand?" I asked her, and she shook her head.

"I can't even feel my legs," she informed me. Feeling despair seep in, I gazed up at George, who took my free hand and squeezed it gently.

"Nova?" he said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Would it be alright if we levitated you? Only we need to get you out of here, and I don't know how long it will take the teachers to arrive."

She nodded slowly, and all three of us pulled out our wands. We said the spell quietly, conscious of the ever-nearing hoofbeats, and struggled back through the undergrowth, Nova drifting like a ghost in front of us, her head lolling to the side, her eyes sparkling with the tears she was too brave to cry.

When we eventually breached the outside of the forest and moved back into the weak sunlight, we kept going until we reached where our class had been before – they had all moved back inside. We laid her down gently as Madam Pomfrey came rushing out of the castle. I blinked – it was weird seeing her outside the hospital wing.

With angry mutters and gentle soothing words to Nova, she pulled out her wand and two bottles of potions. I reached for Nova's hand again. Her breath was coming in short, shallow gasps, and her eyes were glazed over with pain. Fred and George withdrew slowly, seeing that it was all taken care of and wanting to avoid more tears and blood and angry teachers. I couldn't blame them.

"It's okay," I murmured, and her hand squeezed mine. She let out a sudden cry of pain and I turned to see that Madam Pomfrey had pulled the arrow from her shoulder without warning.

"I'm sorry, dear," she said as she pulled her wand out. "It's better that you weren't expecting it so your body didn't tense up too much."

She nodded in comprehension and I pillowed her head in what was left of my lap as Madam Pomfrey started working away with the spells and potions.

"You never told me you were pregnant," Nova accused softly, breathily, and I smiled weakly.

"I couldn't get into the forest to see you – I was going to come find you as soon as I could, I swear."

Her lips stretched into a feeble grin. I heard footsteps, and my head whipped up to find Professor Dumbledore bearing down on us with Professor McGonagall, Snape, and my father among others.

"Miss Lupin, could you explain to me what's going on here?" Dumbledore demanded, and I shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, Nova got hurt, so I …"

"How did you know she was hurt?" McGonagall butted in, and I almost threw her the glare I would give Fred or George if they interrupted me, but remembered myself in time.

"She shot an arrow to us."

My father interrupted this time, and I had no qualms about glaring at him.

"No, an arrow came out of the trees, and you suddenly decided to go haring off after it."

"Actually, _professor, _I knew it was Nova – see the butterfly?" I pointed out, indicating the parchment my father still clutched in his hand. "That's her. Because her name means One Who Chases Butterflies. And there was blood, so I knew she was in trouble."

Dumbledore frowned. "Be that as it may, Miss Lupin – and we shall discuss how you came to be the friend of a centaur at a later date – you should, under no circumstances, have gone into the forest when you knew something dangerous had happened. Especially in your … ah … condition."

Snape positively beamed (well, as far as Snape can beam) at my being told off by the headmaster, and I scowled. They made it sound so shameful by skirting around the words 'pregnancy' and 'baby'. Nova squeezed my hand again, and I glanced down at her to see her giving me an encouraging smile, the pain in her eyes already unclouding.

Dumbledore turned to the other teachers and began conferring as I helped Nova shakily to her feet.

"I've given her a blood-replenishing potion, healed the wound, fixed the torn muscle inside and given her an all-round restorative," Madam Pomfrey informed me as Nova found her legs in working order, and she leant down to hug me.

"Thank you so much," she breathed against my ear. "He would have killed me."

I drew back to look at her – she was already taller than me, despite the fact that we were roughly the same age.

"He's your brother, surely he wouldn't – "

"The honour of the herd is everything to him," she said bleakly. "I can't ever go back. I guess I'll have to … I don't know. I don't know anywhere else centaurs live."

She started crying at this point. I understood. She could withstand physical pain, but losing her family and her home were too much – that was a pain you couldn't heal. I hugged her again.

"We'll think of something," I promised her, and as if agreeing with me, the baby kicked strongly. She felt it and grinned broadly, her wet cheeks stretching.

"I can't believe you're having a baby," she commented, and I laughed.

"Neither can anyone else, so don't worry."

"What about your dad?" she inquired, biting her lip. I sighed, and raised one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. She seemed to understand.

"Miss Lupin," Dumbledore said suddenly, turning back to us.

"And Nova," I pointed out, and he amended himself.

"Forgive me. Alyss and Nova, I think we've reached a decision."

She glanced at me, and I took her hand again.

"We'd like to offer Nova a room in Hogwarts," Dumbledore announced, and held up a hand to forestall my wild celebrations. "She'll need to find somewhere to go during the holidays, and she's going to teach archery and herbal remedies to an after-school club in return for the room."

"But she's only fifteen," I pointed out validly. "You can't make her work."

"Miss Lupin, she quite obviously cannot return to the Forbidden Forest, at least for a while, and I think you'll agree that she needs something to do with her time while she's with us – don't you?" He turned to address Nova at this point. "Severus happens to know the location of a particularly friendly group of centaurs in Southern Ireland, and we'd be happy to take you to them during the summer holidays of this year," he informed her, and she looked overjoyed and terrified in roughly equal measures.

"Thank you very much, sir," she said, and smiled bravely. I couldn't imagine how it felt for her to be completely exiled from her home and sent to live with strangers.

Well, at least she had a few months in Hogwarts – I was quite excited for her to meet my other friends, and for them to meet her.

"Ireland?" she muttered curiously as we followed Dumbledore into the castle.

"It's nice there, once you learn to deal with the rain," I pointed out, and she half-smiled.

"It'll be fine – I love Irish accents."

"They'll steal your Lucky Charms," I told her with a Irish accent, and she just looked at me weirdly while I laughed. Jesus, I crack myself up.

---

That evening, as I was settled in one of the huge armchairs in the common room, reading a book that I had balanced on my tummy, Fred and George reappeared after vanishing for a good five hours. Warily, I stared up at them as they loomed over me.

"We have," Fred began, a devilish glint in his eye.

"A cunning plan," George finished, pulling something out of his pocket. I glanced around to check that no-one was looking. I could see Harry, Ron and Hermione across the room, but they had their heads together and were obviously absorbed in something – knowing Harry, it was probably life-threatening.

"Spill," I said, and leaned closer as George unfurled the banner, charming it with his wand so that it hung in mid-air suspended above the common room. I read it, and my eyes narrowed, then widened with delight.

"Hug a Slytherin Day?" I asked absently, still staring up at the banner that was flashing yellow, green, black, silver, red, gold, blue and bronze. There was a little picture of four animals (the badger, eagle, snake and lion of the four houses) repeatedly initiating a group hug. I laughed so hard it hurt.

"Tomorrow," Fred announced, and I beamed.

"Don't we have potions with the Slytherins tomorrow?"

A faraway look came into George's eyes. "I wonder how many points Snape'll dock if I hug him?"

Fred laughed too this time. We all went up to the boys' dormitory and fell asleep on Fred's bed, me snuggled down between the two of them, until a buzzing alarm went off under the pillow at about four in the morning. We snuck out of Gryffindor Tower, with armfuls of the flashing banners under our arms, and headed for the Great Hall.

We reached it with no mishaps, and Fred and George pulled out their wands and with a flourish charmed three banners into sticking themselves to the walls. With an astonishing bit of magic, they somehow made the things go invisible.

"They'll reappear at about seven thirty, in case old Dumbles starts wandering around early," George explained as we crept out of the Great Hall and began hanging banners in other places, like the Entrance Hall, up several flights of stairs and in McGonagall's classroom, outside Dumbledore's office, and in all the other classrooms we could reach. Finally and most daringly, we snuck into Snape's classroom and hung a banner there, then on the wall outside the Slytherin common room.

"Won't the teachers get them off before anyone sees them?" I panted to them both as we ran back to Gryffindor Tower – it was beginning to get light outside the windows.

"Sticking Charms," Fred said, almost crashing into a suit of armour. "They're charmed to be un-removable until midnight tonight."

I grinned hugely. "And how come you guys always fail our charms tests?"

They shrugged in unison as we reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, giving her the password, and then tumbled into the common room. People were beginning to stir, and they gave us weird looks as we careened across the room.

"See you soon," I yelled over my shoulder as I headed upstairs to get dressed. I glanced at my watch – seven fifteen. My toes curled in anticipation as I crashed through the door and began getting dressed as quickly as I could.

"Where have you _been_?" Keira demanded as she stood by the door, waiting for me. I grabbed her by the arm and tugged her out of the room as soon as I was done. "And why are you in such a hurry?"

"You'll see," I grinned, and she rolled her eyes. Fred and George were waiting impatiently for us, and we all set off at a fast walk.

We reached the Great Hall with perfect timing: just as we walked in, the banners exploded into view with little showerings of sparks and confetti.

"Happy Hug a Slytherin Day!" George shouted, and pulled the nearest person wearing a green and silver striped tie into a huge bear hug. Fred did the same, and the two first years they were squeezing looked like they were being asphyxiated. With laughs, catcalls, and screams of amusement, the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws at breakfast surged towards the Slytherins and began hugging the life out of them.

"This is amazing," I yelled to Fred and George over the pandemonium, watching as Flitwick and McGonagall desperately tried to remove the banners from the walls. They beamed, and we grabbed toast before retreating to our first lesson.

McGonagall arrived fifteen minutes late, looking frazzled, to find the five slytherins in the lesson in the middle of a huge group hug that, unsurprisingly, Fred and George had initiated.

"Return to your seats _at once_!" she shouted. For once displaying an inkling of common sense, we did as commanded. I couldn't help a tiny snigger as she caught sight of the banner attached to the wall above the blackboard.

"Weasley, Weasley, Lupin, you wouldn't happen to have had anything to do with this, would you?" she asked dangerously, moving towards us at the back.

"No, professor," I told her. "I was up all night with false contractions, and they were with me." As I had hoped, everyone looked embarrassed when I talked about my pregnancy, and started coughing and shuffling around. McGonagall, although looking sceptical, didn't really appear to be in the mood to push such an awkward subject.

"Okay," she said, awarding the three of us one long, hard stare as she retreated to the front of the classroom. Fred used the opportunity while her back was turned to briefly hug the Slytherin he'd sat himself next to, and by the time McGonagall had turned around Fred was sitting serenely in place, looking unfazed as the Slytherin threatened dire retributions.

As we moved between lessons, we hugged every Slytherin we went past. We got several hexes sent our way for our troubles, but the Slytherins were being overwhelmed by the sheer number of people grabbing them out of nowhere and squeezing them.

When we eventually arrived in Potions, we all had huge beams on our faces as we stared at the banner that Snape was still attempting to get down.

"Five sickles," Fred whispered to George, who grinned.

"You're on," he retorted, and made his unhurried way towards the front of the classroom.

"What are you betting on?" I asked as George got closer to the front.

"Whether Snape'll take more than fifty points off if George hugs him," Fred explained, and I watched, with almost hysterical laughter, as George seized the greasy potions master into a hug, his arms locked tight around Snape's shoulders.

"Happy hug a Slytherin day, sir!" George crowed, as the rest of the class exploded into laughter.

"Weasley! Get off me! Detention, and forty points from Gryffindor!"

George released him, beaming, and headed straight back to us. He held out his hand to Fred, who reluctantly handed over the five sickles.

"It was worth it," Fred whispered conspiratorially to me as we took our seats, Snape looking almost apoplectic with rage.

At dinner that night, the headmaster got up to speak, looking exhausted by what I'm sure were many hours spent during the day trying to unstick the banners.

"The culprits of this deed will be found and punished," he promised. "It is unfair to abuse the personal space of members of the school in this way," he added, pointedly glaring at George, who was in the process of squishing a third-year Slytherin.

Fred waved his wand under the table, and all around us people burst into laughter as the words on the banner behind the teachers changed, still flashing blithely.

_They should be grateful, they'll never get this close to normal human beings again, _it proclaimed. The teachers whipped their heads round, furiously searching for the source of amusement, until one of them noticed the banner. After several unsuccessful charms, they sat back down, obviously deciding to ignore it.

"If anyone knows the perpetrators, it would be prudent of them to come forward immediately," Dumbledore continued, and Fred waved his wand again.

_Do so and you will be glomped to death, _the banner announced, and more laughter resounded around the hall.

Dumbledore dismissed us as the banner continued to mock him lazily. It was flashing _Look out for hug a teacher day _as we left.

---

**Happy Hug a Slytherin Day, everyone!**

**I hope you liked the latest chapter – please don't favourite without reviewing.**


	31. Forgive 'n' Forget

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to BellaCullen2312 and SaffyGirl for reviewing the last chapter within almost ten minutes of me putting it up. I heart you guys!**

**And also to VintageConspiracy, because it was her birthday yesterday. Happy birthday, Kim! We all love you :)  
**

"_I'd love to forgive and forget, so I'll try to put all this behind us – just know that my arms are wide open." – This Boy, James Morrison._

"Guys," I said seriously to Fred and George one night in early summer. "We should start revising. It's less than a month 'til OWLs."

Fred gave me a weird look, and then pulled me down onto the sofa next to him.

"Shut up," he told me amiably, and returned to whatever he had been doing before – namely, scribbling plans for their next prank on a sheet of parchment.

"No, really," I insisted. "I can't do too badly, or I think my dad will lynch me."

George frowned absently as he added what looked like a dinosaur with four heads to the already jumbled parchment. "You can go study if you want, we're not going to study."

I sighed. "George, you know I need you guys to help explain stuff to me. I've missed most of the DADA lessons this year."

They both turned identical, impatient, patronising twin smiles on me, and I huffed.

"Fine, be that way," I announced with a scowl, and stomped to the stairs. I made my way up to my own dorm angrily, slamming the door behind me and going to throw myself on the bed before I caught myself and remembered to flop sideways instead of onto my tummy. Yeah, you'd think it'd be habit by now.

I guess I must have fallen asleep (damn pregnancy messing with my body) because I jolted awake to a cold, wet nose being thrust against my bare lower leg. I shrieked and jumped about a foot in the air.

"Jeez, Sirius, don't _do _that," I complained as he transformed back into his human self and smirked. "You're almost as bad as Fred and George," I grumbled to him as he climbed up onto my bed and drew the hangings shut.

"What's the matter?" he asked, noticing my mutinous expression.

"Fred and George won't help me study, and I want to do well 'cause if I don't I won't be able to do NEWTs and then I won't be able to get a job and then I won't be able to support my baby and then … and then …"

Pathetically, I was crying again. This made me angry, and angry tears added to the hormone-induced ones, until I was a blubbering, snotty mess. Sirius handed me a tissue and moved to rub my back consolingly.

"You'll be just fine," he told me while a sniffled. "I'll be here to look after you, remember that. I think I've almost got Pettigrew sorted. Just wait. I'll be a free man by the beginning of the summer, and then I'll buy a place and bring you and Harry to live there. It'll be fine – and I'll even try to ignore the screaming baby," he added with a laugh, and I smiled through the last of my tears.

"Here," he added kindly, reaching to the end of my bed where my revision notes were in a jumbled mess. "How's about you tell me what you don't understand?"

I beamed at him. "You're gonna help me study?"

"Night and day for the next two weeks, if that's what it takes."

---

It did pretty much require constant studying with Sirius to make me feel secure enough about at least passing my exams. The first was Charms practical, and to my total delight the first spell the fat, anxious-looking bald wizard asked me to perform was a permanent sticking charm. With memories of Hug a Slytherin Day floating around my head, I performed that one almost perfectly.

It sort of went downhill from then onwards.

I vaguely remember starting to cry, and the examiner looking appalled and going to get help. They'd put me in a room by myself, in case the stress got to me and I started going into labour or something. I mean, seriously. The exams were important, but it's like they didn't know me at all. When had I _ever _gotten myself seriously stressed about exams?

Never, that's when.

But, anyway. I did have a kinda-breakdown, but I was fine by the time the examiner returned with a harried-looking Madam Pomfrey, who checked me over once, despite my protests, and then deemed me 'fine to carry on'. Well, duh. I sort of dragged myself through the rest of the exam, and returned to collapse in the common room. Fred bounded over to me, looking pleased with himself, but stopped when he saw my face.

"What?" he asked, dropping to his knees next to the sofa where I was lying.

"I fucking hate exams," I announced, theatrically wiping my brow, and he laughed.

"Join the club."

He budged my feet off so he could sit down, and I snuggled up to him.

"Charms theory this afternoon, right?" I asked, and he smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Well, if they whip out more questions about permanent sticking charms I get the feeling it'll be easier than they told us to expect," he informed me, and it was my turn to laugh.

---

Ironically, there was a question about permanent sticking charms, but it was only worth of a couple of marks, and handing in my paper at the end of the exam I was barely confident that I'd passed it.

I wandered out for a walk by myself after the exam ended, feeling more than a little shaky. I ended up sitting out of sight of the castle, on the other side of the lake, leaning against a tree. Sirius found me quickly, padding up happily in his dog form.

"You alright, kid?" he inquired, switching forms and flopping down next to me. I experienced a brief flash of jealousy.

"I wish I could be a wolf again," I sighed, and he grinned.

"Only … what – two months now?" he asked, patting my swollen tummy gently, and I smiled.

"Month and a half," I confirmed, and let out a shaky breath. "To be honest, I'm totally shitting myself."

He didn't laugh, which surprised me. "I would be too, honey. I hope to God I get Pettigrew turned in so I can be there for you."

I leant my head against his shoulder. "Thanks, Uncle Sirius. I don't know who else will. I'm not about to ask Cedric, it feels awkward thinking about Fred being there, and there is no way in _hell _Vanessa's staying with me."

He patted my hand this time. "Your father – "

"Is a huge wodge of denial," I cut in, picking up a pebble from beside me and throwing it into the lake, where it made dark ripples against the otherwise still surface. "He refuses to admit any of this is happening – like, if he doesn't look at me it won't really be happening."

"It's hard for him," Sirius told me, his hand on mine holding me down when I would have risen and stomped off in disgust with the fact that he was defending my father to me. "You're all he has since your mother left, and to him this is a symbol of you growing up and growing away from him, and he can't deal with it."

"I can't be tied to his apron-strings forever," I argued, starting to feel the tiniest inkling of guilt and hating it.

"Of course, he's dealing with it very badly, but he's disappointed too. He always used to want the world for you, and he was so sure you'd be the kind of kid that would grow up to find the world at their feet. He's scared you're limiting your options."

"I'm not," I muttered mutinously. "And besides, how d'you know that? You haven't spoken to him in thirteen years."

"I know my best friend," Sirius said firmly. "I was there straight after you were born, and he was sitting in a chair outside your mother's room, holding you in his arms, and he had these tears running down his face while he stared at you. You were bawling your head off, but he was just totally entranced. He looked up at me and said 'I can't believe something this perfect is mine.' And to be honest, I couldn't believe it either. We all thought James'd be the first one with kids and a family."

I could feel tears rising and made an effort to battle them down. "He said that about me?" I whispered, because … just because.

"He loves you, Alyss," Sirius told me. "He won't admit it, but I know this rift between you two is hurting him really badly."

I sighed. "I should go talk to him."

Sirius nodded. "Remind him that you're still his baby girl, and always will be, no matter how bad you screw up. You're still _my_ baby girl, and I'm not even your father."

"I love you, Uncle Sirius," I said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you."

"I love you too, honey. Now go on, go find your dad."

I went. I took the steps up to his office in record time, and burst through the door to his study. He looked up from his desk where he was marking a pile of papers in surprise, and I flung the door shut and hurried over to him, kneeling beside his chair and hugging him as tightly as I could.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," I whispered, my face buried in the crook of his neck. He made an odd, strangled sort of noise and dropped his quill, pushing his chair back and wrapping his arms around me, pulling me half-into his lap.

"I'm sorry too," he murmured against my hair, and I only realised I was crying when he lifted my face and wiped away my tears.

"I'm sorry I got pregnant, and I'm sorry I didn't have an abortion. But, dad," I hurried on, not wanting to let him interrupt, "I'm still the same person I was last year, two years ago. This doesn't change who I am, this just means there'll be someone else to help me get my priorities straight."

"I've been thinking about this a lot," he confessed, running a hand through his hair as I perched in his lap. "And I think I understand why you didn't get an abortion."

This surprised me. "You do?"

He smiled. "You always had a lot of your mother in you, and she was just as stubborn as you are. I think it was because everyone was putting so much pressure on you to get rid of the … baby …"

I hugged him again for not skirting around the word.

"… yes, it was because of the pressure that you decided to keep him. And, as your father, I need to respect your decisions. So, I want you to know that I'm going to be here for you, and support you and the baby until you can support yourselves."

"Thank you," I said quietly. "And Cedric's the father," I added, as it had suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't told him yet. "So you can stop being rude to Fred in lessons."

"I'm sorry," he apologised quickly. "I didn't know."

"I know. It's not your fault. And, for the record, I swear it was only a one-time thing, and because we were drunk. I've never slept with anyone before or since."

He laughed. "Well, as much as any father hates to hear about his daughter with any boy, I'm glad it was only once. And, although I can't believe I'm saying it, I'm glad it's Cedric. That boy has a good head on his shoulders."

"Is that your way of saying you approve?"

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't."

I chuckled and shoved his shoulder gently before standing back up, sure his legs must be going dead even if he wasn't about to admit it.

"So, do you want a hand getting in some practise for the Defence exam tomorrow?" he enquired, going out of the door and using his wand to clear a space in the classroom.

"Oh, gosh, yes," I acquiesced enthusiastically, lining up next to him with my wand at the ready as he started revising the spells with me.

--

A knock at the door came as I was just about exhausted, and dad went over to open it. Harry was standing behind it, and looked vaguely surprised to see me there, red-faced with exertion, panting slightly, with the mangled remains of what had been a fake kelpie behind me.

"Alyss?" he asked, and my heart twanged a little, wishing I could treat him like the brother he should be to me than just another Gryffindor.

"What's occurrin'?" I replied with a nod. He didn't get the Gavin and Stacey reference, but I continued in a bad welsh accent anyway.

"Oi, dad, where to you going?"

My dad just gave me an odd look. "I just need to speak with Harry for a few moments. I think you'd better go get some dinner, you look awful."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I tossed over my shoulder as I headed for the door, back with my normal voice.

"Any time," he replied with a chuckle, and I grinned. I heard Harry say "I didn't know you had a daughter, sir," just as I shut the door.

Well, how many Lupins does he know? Seriously, sometimes I wonder about that kid.

---

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	32. Here Comes The Sun

**"Here comes the sun, little darling."**– Here Comes The Sun, The Beatles.

**A/N: **So I was reading through some of the reviews you guys have left me, and they made me feel _so _guilty about not updating. I just feel terrible. So, I have the flu today, and I feel like my head is going to explode. Because of this my parents let me have the day off revising for exams, so I typed like a girl possessed. Enjoy. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

--

Ironically, one of the questions worth the most points in the DADA theory exam was how you might battle and dispose of a kelpie. I laughed quietly to myself in the little separate room they'd put me in and scribbled away happily. I had no clue what to do with battle-crazy hooksnarls, but I was delighted to discover that I could answer the rest of the questions. The examiner in charge of watching me was almost asleep on the desk, breathing so heavily it was really distracting.

I finished eventually and stretched back over the chair, rubbing my tummy absently as I yawned.

"Finished?" he asked tiredly once he noticed I was done, and then handed my wand over. "Time for your practical," he explained, and I grinned. At least I got to avoid hanging around waiting for ages.

"Okay, demonstrate to me the best spell to incapacitate a swarm of grindylows."

The questions for the practical were a little harder, and at one point I turned the examiner purple (by _mistake, _honestly), but I was delighted when he asked the final question.

"Now, this is a bonus of sorts, but could you please show me the best way to get rid of a dementor? It's okay if you can't, but your teacher mentioned …"

With a beam, I twirled my wand with a flourish. "Expecto Patronum!" I declared happily, and Melman burst from my wand and stood with his head slightly bent over to avoid the ceiling, looking … well, giraffe-like.

"Very good," the examiner said with a smile, scribbling something down on a piece of parchment. "You're free to go."

Grinning fit to burst, I shot back up the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room and, seeing George reclining on a sofa looking exhausted, went and sat on him. He made a funny 'oomph' noise and pushed me off.

"Alyss, you're too heavy to be doing that."

I laughed. "What's the matter, Georgie? Are you in a bad mood?"

He glared at me, and from out of nowhere Fred grabbed my arm and steered me away.

"He just did really well in his DADA practical so he's sulking," he explained in a whisper, and I laughed harder.

"You two are crazy," I announced blithely, and Fred grinned.

"We are indeed. Oh, and Diggory asked me to give this to you," he said, managing to keep the jealousy almost entirely out of his voice. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and took the envelope.

"What does he want?" Fred asked, leaning over my shoulder to read the note.

"He wants to see me," I said happily. "That'll be nice, it's been a while. And besides, we need to … make arrangements."

Fred took a deep breath in, and I took his hand, grateful for the effort he was making. "I won't be long," I promised, gazing into his eyes with all the honesty I could muster. He nodded and released my hand, turning his back and walking with tense shoulders to where George was lying, now muttering angrily to himself about something.

I smiled and wandered out of the portrait-hole and down to the Entrance Hall.

"Hey, you," Cedric called from behind me, and I beamed and leaped to hug him.

"I haven't seen you in _forever_," I pointed out, and he laughed.

"Tell me about it. D'you want to go for a walk? We can stay here if you're – "

"I'm perfectly capable of walking, thank you," I announced, and he smiled and took my hand.

"It's scary," he whispered to me as we meandered around the lake, and I grinned and pulled his hand down onto my tummy as the baby kicked.

"But exciting at the same time, don't you think?"

He smiled a special, private smile at me and I remembered why all the girls were so in love with him.

"So, what's going on with your love life?" I asked as we sat down in the shade of a weeping willow and kicked my shoes off.

"Well, there's this girl in the year below," he started, and then looked mortified as his eyes darted down to my tummy. I chuckled.

"C'mon, Cedric, no strings attached, remember? So, what's her name?"

"She's called Cho. She's in Ravenclaw."

"Oh, I know her," I said vaguely, mentally scrolling through the Ravenclaws I knew before coming to rest on her face. "She's pretty."

He laughed. "Yeah, but I think this is going to be kind of complicated, what with the baby and my father going crazy and all that."

I sighed and leaned my head back against the tree-trunk, lacing my fingers with his. "Is your dad still angry? I only made up with mine a couple of days ago."

"He's gotten over it, but he's not happy. He keeps telling me what a responsibility it is, and how much harder I'm going to have to work now, and blah, blah, blah."

"It's okay, you know. I can take care of him myself."

"Yeah, whatever," he replied with a snort, and I smacked him half-heartedly. "So, what are you going to call him?" he asked quietly, and I glanced up to see him staring down at the ground.

"I don't know yet. Do you have any name ideas?"

He grinned and his eyes flashed to meet mine. "Well, I was kind of hoping we could call him Lucas. See, I had a little brother once, but he died only a couple of weeks after he was born. We were going to call him Lucas, but obviously we couldn't. So, what do you think?"

I positively beamed. "That's perfect! Lucas was one of the names I was agonising over, so this makes my decision super-easy. I'd like to make his middle name Sirius, though, please. Lucas Sirius sounds nice."

"Yeah," he agreed, and I dropped my head down onto his shoulder.

"Do you want to be there?" I asked, suddenly blushing. "You know, when …"

He looked embarrassed too, and I was feeling seriously awkward.

"You don't have to, I just thought I'd give you the choice."

"No, no … I just … will you be screaming a lot?"

I shrugged. "Probably. There'll be blood, too. And I might even try to kill you. But I promise it'll all just be in the heat of the moment."

He laughed and draped his arm around my shoulders, leaning his head back against the tree. It felt so nice I just snuggled down against him, and before I knew it I was fast asleep.

Yeah, I know total cliché, but it was warm in the sun and he was, like, _seriously _comfy and I just couldn't help myself.

When I eventually blinked myself awake later on the sun had descended in the sky a considerable amount and he was also fast asleep. I eased myself out from under his arm and planted a kiss on his cheek, tiptoeing away (well, attempting to tiptoe away) and heading back up to the castle.

I arrived back in Gryffindor Tower to find Fred and George in considerably better moods, brandishing large bottles of butterbeer and singing raucously. Feeling lethargic, I left them to it and went to bed.

--

The full moon came around again two weeks later, after exams had been and gone. I was sitting in the window at some point in the middle of the night, kept awake by the baby's incessant kicking, staring up at the moon absently. I let the soft rays wash over my face and allowed, for a brief moment, the excitement of being so close to being able to get outside and wander around in wolf-form to rise up in my chest.

The baby kicked again, and I caressed my belly gently as I eased the window open a little and let the cool night air drift in.

A long howl in the forest caught my attention, and I watched in horror as a large black dog bowled into the corner of my vision, tangling with a grey, furred monster slightly larger than itself, and … _dad_.

I was on my feet before a second had passed, sprinting across the dormitory and down the stairs. It was pure luck I didn't run into Peeves or any teachers, as I made no attempt to disguise my passage.

I couldn't let them fight. I just couldn't. They might kill each other, and they'd never forgive themselves. I threw myself out through an open window on the ground floor, cursing how hard it was to keep running, and followed the howls into the Forbidden Forest.

"Dad!" I screamed into the air, not stopping to think how stupid announcing my presence was. A heavy snuffling nearby made my heart jump as I crashed deeper among the trees, until suddenly I was bowled over by a hairy form and knocked right to the ground.

"Dad," I huffed once I could breathe again, watching as he chased away whatever had been tailing me, and then turned large amber eyes onto my prone form.

He growled forlornly as he examined my belly, shifting over and curling up next to me, his cold nose poking into my back. I sat up and examined the scratches all over him carefully, soothing my fingers through his fur. He moaned in relief as I pulled out my wand and allowed the magic to seal up the points where he was bleeding most badly, and then stared up at me with desolate eyes.

He looked so broken. I don't know how else to describe it. Like the world was crashing down around his ears and there was nothing he could do. I felt the tears rise as we gazed at each other, and eventually three words came out of my mouth that I couldn't believe.

"I'll do it."

He stared at me in confusion, head tilted to one side, world-weary expression written all over his features.

"I'll give my baby up for adoption. I won't put you through this."

I think if werewolves could cry, he would have. He put a paw across my chest and licked the side of my neck softly, whining gently. I curled up on the forest floor, leaves tangling in my hair, and let my tears and his gentle growls lull me into sleep.

I woke up the next morning in his bed, in the room next to his office. He'd evidently carried me back here after he transformed back. I could see the tattered remains of a ripped shirt lying in the corner, and I swung my feet off the bed and stood with a groan, stretching out my sore muscles and rubbing my belly in an attempt to ease the weight of the baby.

"Did you really mean it?"

His voice startled me from the doorway, and I glanced up to find him leaning against it, everything about him showing that he expected me to say no.

"Yes," I replied quietly, hating myself. "I meant it. It's not fair to ask you to do this."

He gasped in relief and moved to pull me into a tight hug, his breath hot in my messy hair. "Besides," I said with a chuckle to mask my tears, "you're too young to be a grandpa."

"I love you so much," he told me sincerely, tousling my hair as he gazed into my eyes. "I can't begin to comprehend what a sacrifice this is for you."

I blinked away fresh tears and smiled forlornly. "There'll be more children," I pointed out, and then shrugged. "Plus, I'm sure there's a couple out there who are simply dying for a baby and will take much better care of him than me. It would be selfish of me to keep him."

He hugged me again, and I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck.

"I want to go home now. I don't want to face everyone."

He nodded. I could see that he was packing already, and I knew that he was getting ready for another upheaval, another flight to escape the anger brought by truth. It didn't seem right that I wasn't there, running alongside him.

"Go get your things," he said, and I smiled and headed out.

--

The baby was born three weeks later. He came early. I was in the middle of doing the dishes when the first contraction hit me, and I'm embarrassed to say that I screamed rather loudly. Can you blame me? It was a bit of a shock.

My father got me to St Mungo's quickly, and the healers buzzed around checking charts and stuff until four familiar red-heads burst into the room.

"Fred! George!" I exclaimed in delight from my bed, reaching towards them for a hug. They hugged me, and then I drew Ginny in for a hug before Mrs Weasley enveloped me. She drew back eventually and started fussing over me, checking I was comfortable and not suffering overmuch.

"You guys want to play cards?" I asked hopefully, pulling out the deck of muggle cards from the backpack on the bedside table. "Dad won't play," I added morosely, glancing over to where my father was standing with his forehead pressed against the window, watching the world go by outside.

"Are you … are you sure you should be playing cards?" George asked anxiously as Mrs Weasley went over to my dad to greet him, and I was in the middle of reassuring George that it was fine when another contraction hit me. I doubled over and swore loudly, clenching my teeth as Fred, George and Ginny chattered away in worry.

"Whew," I said finally, wiping my hair out of my face. "That was a big one."

All three of them just stared at me in astonishment.

"So you wanna play poker? Or Go Fish or Gin Rummy?"

I'd just about managed to persuade them that it was all normal when a nurse bustled in and started asking all sorts of questions about the contractions. She talked for a while, and then the contractions started coming closer together until I was almost screaming and pleading for drugs. George fled as soon as he could, and my father followed him out after a short time, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I can't bear to see you suffering and not be able to do anything about it."

I stuck my tongue out at his retreating back, and Fred came to sit in the chair next to my bed.

"You can go too, if you want," I said quietly in between contractions, gesturing to the door as Ginny slipped out quietly to get a drink. "I won't blame you."

"I'll stay," he said firmly, and one of the nurses bustling around at the foot of my bed smiled kindly at him.

"You're a great dad, sticking around with mummy."

"I'm not dad," he replied, snapping, and she looked a little confused.

"I'm not mum," I told her crossly as I felt another contraction begin. When it was done, and I'd screamed and sworn a little more, I picked up the thread of conversation. "The woman sitting out there with my dad is mum. She gets to hold him and dry his tears and watch him grow up and I get to go back to school with nothing to show for all this," I snapped, gesturing to my sweaty face and distended belly and shapeless hospital gown.

She was quieter after that. The day wore on and the pain got bigger and lasted longer until there was blood everywhere and I was screaming like there was no tomorrow. Fred clutched at my hand, soothing me, encouraging me, and eventually the pain dulled and there was silence in the room but for my harsh breathing and the indignant, squalling cries of the baby.

"Take him away!" I gasped out roughly, my voice filled with tears. "Take him away, I don't want to see him!"

The nurses didn't seem to hear me, moving around and cleaning the baby up, wrapping him up and passing him around, all the while just letting him cry.

"I love him," I moaned, turning my face into Fred's stomach and feeling his strong arms wrap around me. "I love him, make them take him away. I can't do this. I love him."

"Can't you hear her?!" Fred yelled at the doctor and the nurses. "Take him out of here! Are you completely heartless?"

Finally, agonisingly, the cries receded and there was just me and Fred and Mrs Weasley sitting on my other side, her hand smoothing my hair down as I cried into Fred's warm, strong body.

"I should never have said I'd give him up," I sobbed, my hands scrabbling for comfort and feeling Fred's close over them as he slid to lie down next to me. "I love him, I love him so much."

I heard Mrs Weasley's chair creak as she got up and sat down next to me, her hand cupping the back of my head.

"His new parents will love him too," she reminded me. "They'll take better care of him than anyone in the whole world because they've had to fight for him and he's infinitely more precious because of it. Alyss, you're the bravest girl I've ever met for doing this."

Fred, beside me, murmured in agreement, and where my head was pressed against his chest I could feel the hum of his words.

"You're so strong, Alyss," he told me. "I don't know anyone who would be strong enough or brave enough or loving enough to do this."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and sobbed because I felt like my heart was breaking. "He's my baby," I gulped out, and suddenly Mrs Weasley's weight disappeared and a different one replaced it.

"Alyss?" a voice asked softly, and I recognised the woman who was going to adopt him.

"Don't bring him in!" I gasped, my fingers fisting in Fred's shirt. She ran a hand lightly down my back.

"It's okay, he's outside with Rupert. We're going to call him Lucas, like you wanted. I don't know how to tell you how … happy and honoured and awed we are because of you. You've changed our lives."

I turned to look at her kind face eventually, tears making stark tracks down my white cheeks, and regarded her from the comforting cage of Fred's arms.

"You'll be … look after him," I gulped, and she wiped my tears away gently, and then pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"I promise I will never let _anything _happen to him," she said. "I'll make an Unbreakable Vow if it would make you more comfortable."

I stared at her kind blue eyes and motherly presence and shook my head tiredly.

"I trust you," I whispered. "Can you send my dad in?"

She nodded and bent awkwardly to hug me. "Thank you so much," she whispered in my ear, and then withdrew. She shut the door gently behind her, and I turned back to Fred.

"I'm glad," I told him, and he had the grace not to look amazed at my sudden change of heart. "She'll take much better care of him than I ever could."

He kissed me then, sweetly and gently, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself into him, finally surrendering to the exhaustion, and as he drew back and the door opened to admit my father, I blinked tiredly and fell asleep.

--

**A/N: **I thought about this chapter for a long time. I know most of you probably aren't going to like what I've done. But I was thinking about logistics and how Alyss would possibly be able to take care of a baby properly without depending on Mrs Weasley to do practically everything, and I just couldn't work it out. Plus, when Teddy comes along, it'd be weird for him to have a nephew that was nearly three years older than him, right? So, I hope that even if you don't like this turn of events you can understand it. And, this way, there's a part of Cedric out there in the world nonetheless.

And thank you to each and every one of my reviewers. You guys make my day every time I open my inbox and see all those alerts!


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